Rising Sun: The Carlisle Cullen Story
by WishingOnMyStar
Summary: For all those who've ever wondered, this is Carlisle Cullen's story from vampire birth through the events of Breaking Dawn. All characters and most ideas are property of Stephenie Meyer. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS! That's the only way I get any better!
1. Chapter 1: The Chase

_Chapter 1: The Chase_

I marched down the streets of London, a pack of hunters at my back. Doors shut ahead of us as people hid away. Nobody wanted to be caught in the way of a witch-hunting party. The flicker of our torches sent shadows retreating into the nooks between the houses and in doorways. Dark windows peered down at us from the second floor of the houses on the street, leaning out over the streets as if curious of our motives.

I thought I might really have something. When my father, an Anglican pastor, had given me the task of hunting down the unholy witches and other allies of the devil, I the dutiful son, had taken to the task wholeheartedly. But thus far, my father considered me a failure. Because I was not as quick as him to see the devil where he did not exist. But this time, I was sure I had something. A real coven of vampires. They lived in the sewers, of all places. I had watched them for weeks now. They only came out when they had to feed. I had my proof. I told my father and went to rid the world of their evil with his and the church's blessing. Now, all we had to do was wait. Wait until one of the beasts showed themselves.

"Spread out," I ordered the crew, when we came to the entrance to their underground lair, a drain cover in an alley between two shops. "Stay out of sight and keep quiet. When one comes out, wait for my signal."

The men nodded and spread out. The tension buzzed in the air. The men were anxious, that much was obvious. I had told them we were dealing with a vampire, possibly more, but I had not told them exactly how sure I was that this was the real thing.

We sat for a long time in darkness. The torches we put out so we did not alert their attention. The reek of London in 1640 hung heavy in the air. There was no breeze in London. The houses, so crammed together, would not allow it.

Finally, the drain cover moved. It slid away with no effort or struggle, supported by a pair of ghostly pale hands. The men hidden with me behind a stack of barrels around the corner from the entrance tensed forward, ready to spring on the monster. But I put my arm out, holding them back. We could not alert the monster when he still had time to retreat into his den.

The vampire looked around middle-age, but weak. In the dark of the night, his eyes looked just as black, but I do not think I would have been able to tell the difference if they had been blue or green. It was not his dark eyes that told me he was weak, it was his body language. He held his hand to his face, clasping his nose and mouth, as if he were repulsed by a smell. But that could not be so, he lived in the sewers. My theory was that he was trying to keep control. The city was rank with the smell of thousands of humans. To remain inconspicuous, he needed to be careful about who he attacked. The vampire called down the hole in Latin, something I did not quite catch.

I waited until the vampire had replaced the drain cover before signaling the charge.

"NOW!" I cried, bursting from our hiding place. The men were right behind me, torches already lit. The vampire spun with inhuman speed, glaring at us for a split second and, and then taking off down the street. We were in hot pursuit.

As I said before, he was weak. He did not run as fast as vampires were rumored to be able to run, so we were able to keep up with him as the other hunters and I chased him through the familiar streets. I had raced down the streets of London as a boy in much the same manner, though I had only been chasing my friends at the time. Still, I knew every twist and turn and shortcut that existed. I soon out distanced my fellow hunters, but I was right on the vampire's heels, and we were coming to a dead end. I had him.

But he seemed to know that. Suddenly, he stopped and turned on me. I was in mid-stride with nowhere to go. He fell on me like a wolf on a sheep. He was impossibly strong. My knife and wooden stake might as well have been goose feathers for all they did on the vampire's skin. He bit me again and again, breaking bones where he gripped. I knew I was going to die.

But at that moment, the rest of the group caught up. The vampire turned to defend himself, attacking the mob. He attacked the men, who were not expecting this, killing two of them before anyone even reacted. The men ran in different directions, leaving the vampire to gorge himself on his prey.


	2. Chapter 2: Changes

_Chapter 2: Changes_

I had more immediate concerns. My legs were broken and I was bleeding over the streets. Where the vampire bit me, fire was spreading through me veins. Anything that was tainted by the devil spawn was destroyed. The bodies, everything. I could not risk people finding me. I had to go. The painful fire was worsening. I had to go, while I could still move. Slowly, I dragged myself towards a street level window into a cellar. The opening was small, but somehow I managed to squeeze through it and found the cellar full of rotting food. It was an old potato cellar, probably forgotten. The pain was torturous. I buried myself in rotten potatoes and fought to stay quiet. I wanted to scream. The pain was so intense. My heart thudded in my chest. Each new wave of pain was more severe than the last. I wanted to die. I wish I just would. I should. I had probably lost enough blood, as disoriented as I was. I could not even smell the rotting vegetables that I had taken refuge under. I was wholly consumed by the flame. Briefly, I wondered if this was how it felt to be burned as a witch at the stake. If it was, I would never wish this kind of death on another person, if I could just die. If the Lord Almighty would just take away my pain.

I was not sure when the climax of the fire was, but I slowly began to feel it retreat. First from my toes and fingers, and then from my extremities. The fire seemed to be receding towards my heart. It beat faster and faster. As it throbbed in my chest, I fought to keep my body from moving. I could not give myself away now. I seemed to be finally dying. Faster and faster and faster my heart pounded. The fire burst to a crescendo, and then ceased. My heart gave one final, half beat, and stopped.

But I was not dead. At least, I was pretty sure neither heaven nor hell smelled so badly. The church bells tolled in the distance, telling the residents around it that it was the ninth hour after midday. Good, it was dark. Slowly, I stood up. Or at least, I thought it was slowly. But really, I moved amazingly fast. My slowly was twice as fast as a normal human reaction. The half decayed potatoes flew everywhere as I stood. In the night, I looked down at my hands. Beneath the rotted food, my skin was the pale white, same as the vampire's had been. The one that I had chased. The one that had attacked me and had left me to die. I looked at the world around me and saw so much more. Everything was in sharp detail now, like I had been looking through a foggy pane of glass and had finally looked away. I could see every flaw in the wall, every crack in the cobbles of the street through the eye level window. Looking at it now, I wondered how I had squeezed through such a small space. I inhaled and tasted the sweet smell of humans. The most delicious scent I had ever smelled. My throat burned, as if I was thirsty for water. But I was not thirsty for water. I was thirsty for blood. I could hear the pulses of the people in the tavern above, just on the other side of the floor. The planks suddenly that looked so fragile now. But I was repulsed by the thought of taking their lives. I had realized exactly what happened.

I was one of them now. I was one of the evil monsters that fed off of humans and coerced with the devil. How could this have happened to me? I was the son of the pastor, a good, righteous man. I could not be found. I could not bring the shame and horror upon my father's name. I had to kill myself, for the betterment of the world.

I pulled myself out of the cellar, not bothering to squeeze. The wood and stone crumbled under my iron grip. A cask of rain water stood at the mouth of the alley outside where the garbage pile rotted. Going over, I contemplated my reflection in the water. I was handsome now. Any flaws in my face, including the scar on my chin from when I would tripped over a dog in the street, was gone. The angles of my face were smoother now. But it was not my new looks that drew my attention. It was my eyes. My blood-red eyes that stared back at me, reminding me that I was indeed a monster. Those were not my eyes. My eyes were pale blue, the same as my mother's had been. These were the eyes of a monster, and this monster, I could destroy. I plunged my head into the water.

Nothing happened. I could have stayed there all day with my head under the water and I still would not have felt anything. Because seemingly, I did not need to breathe anymore. I tried inhaling water, but that did nothing but make me feel uncomfortable. I waited for half an hour with my head in the barrel, just to be sure, but it was no use. I could not drown myself.

I pulled my head out of the basin and looked around. There was nobody around. It was late. You did not want to be out too late, especially in these times. People might just believe that you were a witch, out to perform some midnight curse.

With nobody to see, I ran. I ran at amazing speeds, covering ground that would have taken me hours in minutes. Somehow, even at the speed I was going, everything remained in focus. I traveled down the street, dodging the sound of people that were out at night. I remembered the temptation of the sweet smell. The gnawing at my throat gave a sharp protest at the memory. I did not trust myself to be able to ignore that enticement.

Soon I was outside of London. The countryside swept ahead of me, dotted with forests and farms. As I ran, I kept away from farms and the road. Anywhere where there might be people. I would not kill them. I could always starve myself.

When I came to a bridge, I threw myself off it. Again, nothing happened. I did the same at a cliff that had been worn away by the river. Still, nothing happened. I stood up from my fall and walked away. My skin was like rock. It did not bruise, it did not burn, it did not even dent. I couldn't stick a knife through my gut, I couldn't strangle myself, I couldn't even get an animal to attack me. They all ran away in fear.

And in the mean time, my control was weakening. The burning in my throat began to take over and cloud my judgment. I did not trust myself to be even five miles near a human. So I hid in a cave, buried deep within a hillside.

I could not sleep anymore. Night time was when I was usually active. I found that in the sun, my skin shown like thousands of tiny diamonds. I could not go out during the day. At least, not when the sun was out. I would draw too much attention. So I only went out at night, and that was only to try yet another way to kill myself.

That night, I was at the edge of my willpower. I did not seem to be able to starve myself and eating food was like eating dirt, unsatisfying and unappealing. So, when I heard the beating of a heart and the sloshing as blood pulsed through live veins, I could not stop myself. I attacked the herd of deer that happened to be passing my cave.

I brought down the buck, He thrashed, but his antlers were nothing on my skin, no more than the knife had been. I broke his neck and bit down on the buck's neck.

Warm, red blood flowed from the deer. While it was not as appealing as the scent of the humans had been, the blood partially satisfied the thirst in my throat. I drank until the buck was empty. My throat still burned, but I was stronger now. I had found that I could drink deer's blood.

I had eaten venison as a human, and if I could drink a deer's blood, I could probably also drink any other animal's blood. Pig, cow, chicken, maybe even some of the carnivores like wolf. There was another option. I did not have to be the monster that killed humans. Perhaps, given time, I could learn to control the thirst that begged for human blood. I could feed off of animals, and maybe help people. What better way was there to atone for my sins than to help others?

That night, I fed off of two more animals, a doe and a badger. I only stopped when I felt too full of blood to drink any more. The thirst, it seemed, would always burn in my throat. I would just have to try and live with it.

But I felt much relived now. There was hope. Hope that I could help the world. Vampires were immortal, everyone knew that. With immortality, I could help people through the centuries. That night, I formed a plan. I would study at night, become an academic. There was another way to live this life, and that was the way I was going to take.


	3. Chapter 3: Travels

_Chapter 3: Travels_

I travelled the country, learning anything when I could. But there was just too much risk of running into people I had known. So one day, I decided it was time to leave England. I would swim the English Channel to France and continue my studies there.

The swim across the English Channel was not an easy feat, for a human. But as a vampire, I could swim faster, longer, and I did not have to worry about drowning, because I did not need air. I started running south at a steady pace until I came to the shore. I caught hints of human along the way, but in the months since my transformation, I had worked on my self-control. I could spend a little bit of time among humans without having to worry about attacking one of them. To be sure, I went hunting for animals every night before coming into contact with humans. Over time, the bright red of my eyes faded to more of a red-brown color, and then to a rich, topaz color. The humans were still unnerved a bit by my topaz color, but they would have sent an angry mob at me if my eyes had remained red.

At the shore, I paused to look out over the English Channel. Even with my vampire vision, I could not see France on the other side of the Channel. That did not stop me though. Without another thought, I jumped into the cold water, clothes and all.

I did not really feel cold; my skin was probably much the same temperature, maybe even colder. And my clothes minds as well have been nonexistent. They did not weigh me down or hold me back. Somewhere during the swim I lost my boots and my jacket ripped. By the time I saw the shores of Cap Gris Nez, still ten miles away, I was swimming in just my un-dyed undershirt and my breeches. I passed some ships on the way, the Channel was a major shipping thoroughfare, but none of them came close enough to notice me. I swam on and on, never resting because I did not tire. The rhythm of my strokes was fast. The less time I spent in the water, the less chance there was of a boat noticing me, or crashing into me. To be honest, I was not sure what would get hurt more, my or the unfortunate vessel.

It did not matter though because I made it across in about three hours. I made the 21 mile swim across the channel and came ashore at Cap Gris Nez, the closest point of France to England. To the south was Calais. I could start my search for a place to learn medicine there.

But I also needed to learn French. As the son of a pastor, I knew Latin and some French by extension, but not enough. I already found it was easier to remember. I could see pages I looked at and repeat their contents back with perfect accuracy. I remembered everything. There just seemed to be more space in my mind to remember. My human memories were already fading into the background, leaving sharp vampire memories. I figured this new memory would come in handy when I began my formal studies, helping me to progress faster. I already figured out that I did not age. I would forever remain 23 years old; not a bad age to remain, but still young to be considered seriously. I would have to prove my skill from now on, never relying on the wisdom of age to get me anywhere. According to the humans, I was almost too young to be a doctor. Almost.

So I traveled through France. I studied at a number of schools, the biggest being in Paris, for music, science, and most of all, medicine. I ended up taking a job there as a physician's assistant. I helped the doctor and did some work on my own. I treated everyone who came to me, doing my best to help them. By night, I worked. But when the sun came up, I locked myself away in the room I rented and did not come out until the sun sank, once more, below the horizon. The only exception to this routine was a rainy or overcast day. After 6 or so years, I moved. People started to get curious, and I could not afford curiosity during this time period. I did not need witch-hunters banging on my door.

Each time I moved, I took on a new surname. As my French sounded more and more like a native speaker's, I could pass myself off as a Frenchman. After 50 years or so,—about eight moves— I finally learned all I could from France. So I had one last cycle in Paris, working at an infirmary on the other side of town I had first stayed in, before I began moving south. I had a brief stay in Spain, and then moved down to Italy.

In Italy, I was able to be less careful about my human contact. The witch-hunting craze was over; the 18th century was well on its way. The Italian apothecaries were of particular interest to me at the time, but I also learned their techniques to compliment my French education. For the most part, the Italians were welcoming, though they were always wary of me. I was a lone traveler after all, and I found humans seemed to instinctually shy away from me. Perhaps some intuition, deep down inside them, told them that I was a predator. That was the only way I could describe myself. I was a predator, designed to kill humans, who was committed to saving them.


	4. Chapter 4: The Volturi

_Chapter 4: The Volturi_

I soon started to hear rumors. In my past, I had had a few run-ins with nomadic vampires, like myself, but perhaps more so. It seemed my choice to abstain from human blood was an oddity among my new race. Those who I met were curious, but sometimes hostile. I learned to defend myself well enough from others, though I was primarily an academic. Upon meeting a pair of vampires, a 500 year old male named Renaldo, and his 430 year old mate, Giuliana, I first heard of the Volturi.

The pair told me that these Volturi were the closest thing we had to a justice system. There was one primary rule, "Do Not Reveal the Secret". These Volturi made sure none of us vampires forgot that rule. Those who did, they dealt with.

The Volturi consisted of three brothers and their wives. The pair had told me that the Volturi had come into power around 1200 years ago and had ruled from their fortress city of Volterra. The three brothers, Aro, Caius, and Marcus, were revered there. The citizens of Volterra even had a day called St. Marcus Day, when they celebrated St. Marcus, who was really Marcus Volturi, driving all the vampires from Volterra.

"To feed off a human in Volterra is to die a swift death," Renaldo had told me, his voice full of trepidation. "Aro, the unofficial leader, is gifted." I had heard of vampires who had special gifts. Gifts beyond the normal speed, strength, etc. I had never met one of these gifted vampires before, but it did not surprise me that the leader of the Volturi would be gifted.

"Aro can see every thought your mind has ever had, just by touching your hand," Giuliana had whispered. She lightly brushed my hand. If the hairs on the back of my neck could have stood up, they would have. "Marcus is also gifted. He can see relationships."

"And Caius," Renaldo had added, "even though he isn't gifted, is an extremely clever and adept manipulator."

"Our point is," Giuliana interrupted, "You don't want to get on their bad side. If I were you, I would keep my head down and stay clear of Volterra. Chances are, with those kinds of eating habits, they've already heard of you."

But I had not taken their advice. Within 7 years of arriving in Italy, I would found myself at the city of Volterra. The pair had said the Volturi was the largest coven of mature vampires. The three brothers, in addition to their wives, had a guard of about thirty, most of which were gifted like Aro and Marcus, though no gift ever manifested in the same way. To be a member of the Volturi guard was an honor, and one well sought after.

But I was not at Volterra because I wanted to join the guard. The Volturi sounded quite civilized, a trait I found almost non-existent in most of the other vampires. Most had a hard time living in groups larger than four. But the Volturi had a guard of thirty, after already being a large coven at five. I was intrigued by how they managed to achieve this level of civility. That was why I had ignored the couple's advice and had journeyed to Volterra. That was why I stood outside the walled city as the moon rose in the night sky, staring up at the impregnable walls.

Ahead, the gate was open still and people were moving through it. This was odd; most cities closed their gates when the sun went down. But I figured that with the Volturi watching over operations, the citizens had not had had any reason to fear. Nobody dared try anything, if they knew who was really behind the city's security.

I approached the gate with the rest of the traffic. Dark-cloaked guards at the gate were stopping people at random and demanding to know their business in Volterra. When I got up to the gate, I was stopped.

"_Che cosa è il vostro commercio qui_?" the guard asked his voice smooth from beneath the enveloping hood; too smooth for a human's. What is your purpose here? I had learned enough Italian by now to answer back.

"_Sono qui studiare la medicina,_" I replied. I am here to study medicine.

The guard leaned closer to his partner, conversing in rapid Italian, too low for me let alone a human, to understand. They conversed for only a minute, before the guard turned back to me.

"You may pass," he hissed in low English, thickly accented, "But know that we will be watching closely. Do not hunt within these walls, unless you have a death wish." He then waved me through without waiting for my reply. The exchange had been so quick that none of the humans had noticed anything out of the ordinary.

And so I passed into the city of Volterra. I was tense, taking my first steps inside. I could still feel the guards' gazes on my back as I took first one step, then another, then another. I walked at the slow pace of a typical human gait, blending into the crowd as much as possible. But that was harder to do, when humans automatically gave you a two feet berth on all sides. I walked with traffic, down narrow, winding streets, until I came upon a large square.

In the center of the square was a large, round fountain that gushed water out over statues to land in a large basin. At the far end of the square, a clock tower rose up to loom over the people in the square. The Palazzo dei Priori. People still milled around, though the crowd was rapidly thinning as people retired to their homes for the night. It was through the thinning crowd that I saw my shadow.

Two shadows to be exact, much like the cloaked figures of the guards who had questioned me at the gate. But these were not the same men. The guards at the gate had been tall, imposing. These were shorter vampires, who were more able to blend into the crowd, though I was not really sure how they could do that, wearing the obvious dark cloaks. Their hoods were up, so I could not see their identities. But I did not need to know who they were; just that they were who I was looking for. I had come to Volterra to find the Volturi, and the Volturi had found me.

I paused at the edge of the fountain, staring up at the water for a moment, before turning around to face my shadows. They stood closer than any human dared to go.

"_Buona sera,_" I greeted, Good evening.

"_E buona sera e voi,_" the shorter of the two shadows replied in a silky, feminine intonation. And good evening to you too. "_I miei padrone desideri da parlare con voi._" My master desires to speak with you.

I gestured for her and her partner to lead the way. Instead, she started walking, and her partner fell into step behind me. Any instinct I had for fights told me to get away. This was not a good situation. I was outnumbered, in a strange city. And these two were no doubt part of the Volturi guard. They would be more experienced fighters than I was.

But I followed the female down streets without a single protest. I wanted to send the message of peace, not trouble. Running from the guard, after they specifically told me to come, would not enforce that message. We came to a stop at a drain. I was reminded of my last night as a human. The memory was dark and indistinct, as were many of my human experiences now, but I could still remember it. The drain and the pale hands that had removed the cover. Those same hands that my own had come to resemble.

I shook off the memory and followed the female figure down the hole. This sewer did not smell nearly as bad as the ones in London, or even France did. It was a bit damp, but dry for the most part, which led me to believe that this was not used to wash away waste and water. This was used for travel, by the Volturi.

We ran at normal speed through the stone tunnel. It was probably cold down there, for a human, but I did not notice. We arrived at another exit in minutes. It was another drain, on the other side of which was a big, wooden door with a latch to match it. The door led to stone hallway at the end of which was a stairway that wrapped around in circles over and over again. We climbed the stairs, taking them two at a time, sometimes more. A human would have gotten tired, climbing all those stairs, but not us. Our kind never got tired. At the top, we exited into a large chamber that held paintings of the Italian countryside that I had traversed the last seven years.

The two shadows finally pulled back their voluminous hoods. The shorter of the two was indeed a woman, with long dark hair and olive skin with a pale, chalky pallor. She had obviously been Italian before being changed. Her companion was a man, who was the same pale shade as me. He had straw blond hair, cropped incredibly short. Both of their eyes were a deep crimson color. The obviously did not need to feed.

They led me down a wide, opulent hall, towards a set of large, golden doors. But they did not go through the doors, but rather stopped halfway down the hallway. The man pushed on a section of wall, and then slid it aside to reveal quite a plain, nondescript door.

Beyond the door was a small antechamber, and then a large, round main chamber. It was round, so I assumed it to be a castle turret. Long window slits opened up to darkness. In the daytime, light would probably shine through them to light the chamber. But at night, torches were placed in brackets around the walls, casting flickering shadows on the stone.

The room was quite sparse, holding only a number of wooden thrones that were spaced unevenly, against the stone walls. At the center of the room was a depression with a drain, much like the one I had been led through. I assumed that this was a secondary exit, if for some reason the main door was inaccessible.

Vampires milled around the room in plain dresses and tunics. All were in the style, but nothing about the vampires' clothing really stood out. And except for three, my escorts were the only ones wearing the dark cloaks that were seemingly favored on the streets of Volterra.

The three wearing dark cloaks huddled in a group at the far side of the turret chamber. Two of them had dark hair that was just a shade lighter than their cloaks. The third had white hair, the color of fresh snow. It was odd to me, seeing a vampire with white hair. All of those I had met on my travels were young or middle aged. A few were even in their teens. I had never before met an old vampire.

When we entered, all blood red eyes fell on me. I suddenly felt very self-conscious of my clothing, worn as it was by travel. These vampires dressed well, if not boisterously. The three dark cloaks at the opposite end were the last to turn. They almost seemed reluctant, like they were being pulled away from a conversation, though the room had been quiet when we walked in.

"Ah Carlisle!" One of the dark-haired one in the cloaks spoke first. He held out his arms as if welcoming me home. 'You've joined us at last."

"Thank you for your invitation," I replied carefully.

"I do hope my guards were not too abrupt. But I'd been hoping to meet your for some time now. Word of your peculiar choice has reached our ears here in Volterra." He paused, looking me over from head to toe. His gaze rested on my topaz eyes, fresh from my last feeding outside the walls. "And now it has reached our eyes.

"But where are my manners. I have not introduced us!" The speaker gestured to the snowy-haired vampire who stood to his right. "This is my brother, Caius." He gestured to the other dark-haired vampire on his left, "And this is my other brother Marcus. The famous St. Marcus!" The speaker chuckled. "And I am Aro. Welcome to Volterra!"

Aro seemed to drift forward, leaving his brothers where they stood passive. Even with a vampire's litheness, Aro was amazingly graceful. Coming closer, I could get a better look at him. Aro's red eyes were darker then his guard's, but they seemed to be covered over with some sort of film, like the sugar deposits that developed over some older people's eyes. Vaguely, I wondered if they affected his eyesight. His skin was different then other vampires' too. Instead of pale and hard, like mine was, his skin seemed papery and translucent, like I would rip it if I shook his hand. Still, he offered it and I took it. Aro held my hand for a moment too long and I remembered what Giuliana and Renaldo had told me of him. Aro could hear every thought your mind has ever had, just by touching your hand. When he finally let go, I felt almost violated.

"Thank you for your warm welcome," I replied, doing my best to keep the emotion out of my voice. I was a diplomat right now. I had to act like one. "My name is Carlisle Cullen."

"Yes, so I've heard," Aro replied, alluding to his gift. "Though you travel under different names, am I correct?"

"Sometimes," I conceded. "But I'm sure you understand the need for that."

"Of course!" Aro replied. "Now, I noticed that you feed off of animals, and that you are forever battling your thirst. You feel repulsed by what you are?"

"Yes," I answered. "But I think feeding off animals is a good alternative."

"But your thirst is not quenched!" Aro's reply was a statement of a fact, not a question. It seemed he was only having this conversation for the benefit of the other vampires in the room. "Human blood is our natural food source. Surely denying what you really are is folly!"

I sighed. If I had known the Volturi would try to convince me to change my lifestyle choice, then I would not have come. "I try to work with what God has given me. I do not feed off of humans, I try to help them. I treat their injuries and sicknesses. I learn from my mistakes, so next time I would not fail. I have travelled from university to university, learning all I can so that I may do God's will throughout my immortal life."

"You do not believe God has punished you, as so many other Christians do."

"No," I replied. "God's will is a mystery, but everything happens for a reason."

I had not expected to talk on theology with these Volturi. I had expected the questions on my peculiar feeding habits, but not on faith.

"You have questions for us," Aro said.

"Yes." I jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. "I have found in my travels that it is hard for vampires to remain together for any long period of time, unless they are mates. Yet you seem to have created this large, well-organized coven right here in Volterra. I simply wonder how you are able to do this."

Aro laughed light-heartedly. "Carlisle I can see you and I will become good friends. The reason we are able to have such a large coven, feed off of humans, and still remain in one spot is quite simply, the manner in which we hunt our prey. Most vampires cannot remain in large groups because they are together out of convenience. We are together for a common purpose, to safeguard the secret of our kind. Every vampire here believes in our law and helps us uphold it.

"We are able to remain here in Volterra because we do not hunt our prey here, and do not allow hunting inside or near the city. We go quite far out of our way sometimes, to ensure that our secret remains intact. Some of the guard goes and lures tourists back into our lair, and we feed that way. All foreign. Thousands of tourists go missing every year. Nobody will notice, as long as we are careful about the place and timing."

"That seems like so much work just to maintain your way of life. Perhaps if you tried feeding off of animals, you may have an easier time. You might even be able to interact with the humans living in Volterra more."

There was a general hiss of disproval from the vampires in the room. Apparently, not everyone in the group wanted to try my lifestyle.

"No," Aro replied with a sigh. "I do not think that would be prudent. We have a good system here. It works splendidly. I would hate to see it fall.

"But perhaps you would consider remaining here, with us for a time. You can observe what we do a little more, and perhaps it will cure you of your aversion to our natural prey."

"I would be honored to stay, but I do not think anyone could convince me to prey on humans."

"We shall see," Aro replied.


	5. Chapter 5: The New World

_Chapter 5: The New World_

I stayed with the Volturi for almost four decades. During that time, I got to know, not only Aro, Caius, and Marcus, but the entire Volturi guard.

Every vampire I talked to was honored to be a part of the guard. They felt they were doing their own duty in keeping our race a secret from the humans. Sometimes, parts of the guard were called out to handle a troublemaker. But that did not happen often and while I stayed with the Volturi, none of the three brothers or the wives ever went with them.

Aro, Caius, and Marcus were intriguing. They seemed to share much of my love for learning, especially Aro. The regularly attended performances and balls, but they always kept to themselves, away from the humans. A human painter, Solimena, often painted pictures with them. They were like gods in all the paintings, always higher than everyone else. In some of the pictures, done during my time with them, I too, was depicted with them, the blonde figure next to the two dark-haired ones, and the snowy-white one.

I came to respect them for their refinement and civility, but I never got over their insistence on feeding from humans. And they always tried to convince me to try human blood. They said it would keep me stronger, and sate the thirst that still gnawed at my throat, though the longer I resisted, the easier it became. One time, they even tricked me into remaining in the turret room when their unsuspecting travelers came to call. The scene had been the most grotesque sight I had ever witnessed. That night, I decided I had stayed with the Volturi long enough. We were at an impasse. Neither of us could convince the other to change their ways. It was time I moved on.

So I went to Aro and told him of my plans to leave. I would travel to the New World. Europe held little interest for me anymore. It was too set in its ways. I needed a fresh start. The New World was where I could find that.

"I am sorry to see you go," Aro admitted. "You are truly an interesting vampire and an academic after my own heart. I wish you well with your choice in the New World. Come and visit me sometime."

I had been surprised at how well Aro had taken my news. But I was not going to push my good luck. That night, I left Volterra.

I travelled north, over the land that I had lived in almost a century ago. I did not have to worry about anyone noticing me. Anybody who had known me before was either dead, or so old their memory was not what it used to be. I went farther and farther north, crossing the Channel once more. But this time, I went to Ireland, rather than England. There I met a coven of Irish three vampires, Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie. Maggie, the youngest, was gifted by being able to detect lies. I stayed with them for another decade, and then roamed Ireland and Wales.

For some reason, I was reluctant to leave. I kept telling myself it was because of the political problems in America. They were in the midst of their Revolutionary War. My English accent, even though it was not so pronounced after my lifetime of travels through France, Spain, and Italy, would brand me as a Loyalist. I needed to wait until things cooled down.

In the end, I bought passage on a ship across the Atlantic, to the new United States of America. The United States was still in a state of turmoil, trying to establish their government. It was the early 1800's, over a century since I had been born. And I had been 23 for 138 years now.

I settled first in Philadelphia, taking a job as a private physician. Over the last 137 years, I had figured out just how long I could stay in one place. If I started at the age of "20" or so, I could stay in the same place until I was "35". Then people would start to wonder. In Philadelphia, I met a nomad named Garrett. Garrett had fought in the Revolutionary War and had been changed about 20 years before I met him and had been wandering ever since.

After staying as long as I could in Philadelphia, I moved farther north to Massachusetts, attending universities up north. At each place, I stayed until I was thought to be somewhere between "30" and "35". During the Civil War, I remained in the North, working at war infirmaries in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Connecticut.

I moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1905, beginning like I had done so many times before, at the age of 20. It was there that I met a young girl named Esme Platt. Esme had been climbing a tree when she had fallen and broken her leg. Esme's parents had brought her to the local hospital, where I was working. Even as a child, Esme had been very beautiful. She was brave when I set and put a cast on her leg. We talked about her mostly, only briefly touching on me. I was quick to change the subject, after telling her that I had graduated from Harvard Medical School and had moved to Columbus in 1905. She said something about her friends, and I took the opportunity to change the subject. I did not even stay long enough to remove her cast, one month later, I moved on. I was working night shifts in Chicago when the Spanish Influenza hit.

I was working on my second century and things were getting very lonely. It was obvious to me by now that no vampire I was going to come across would take on my lifestyle. It was not easy, even though I was more than in control of my thirst by now. I could handle flowing human blood with only a bit of thirst. I did not have to hold my breath anymore. And on a day to day basis, I was not tempted by the smell of humans or the sound of their heartbeat at all. For a long time, I had been contemplating making a companion. But I was not quite sure how it worked. I knew that vampires were venomous. I had tasted the venom plenty of times when I had battled against my thirst in med school, during the job, or if a human even scraped their hand in my presence. I also figured that the venom was what changed people into vampires. But I did not know how much was needed, or even how long the transformation normally took. I only knew the consequences of it, and that was part of why I was so reluctant to make another vampire. I did not wish this lifestyle on someone who had another choice. Lucky for me, the choice was made for me.


	6. Chapter 6: Companion

_Chapter 6: Companion_

The Spanish Influenza sent hundreds, thousands of people to the hospitals. Many died. At the hospital I was working in Chicago, I came across an unfortunate family, the Masens. During my night shift, I tended all three, the father, mother, and son. The father died one day, not on my watch. I was sure the son, Edward, was next. He was so weak. His mother, Elizabeth, still retained her strength. I thought she would make it. I had hoped for this dark-red haired, green-eyed woman.

But I came in one day to find that she was hemorrhaging. Her lungs were filling with blood. I could smell it each time she took a ragged breath. Her fever was raging out of control. She was dying. I tended her as best as I could. There was not much I could do for her. I could hear her heart fluttering in her chest and a bubbling in her lungs. But as she lay, dying, she glared up at me with clear, coherent eyes.

"Save him!" she ordered me. Her voice was hoarse.

"I'll do everything in my power," I promised her. I took her hand. It was like touching an open flame. Her fever was literally cooking her, from the inside out. I doubted she could tell that my own hand was much too cold.

"You must," she persisted. "You must do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward."

Elizabeth's words frightened me and shocked me. Did she know? How could she know? And then, had she told anyone? I felt certain that she knew the truth, but as I was about to question her, she succumbed to the fever and slipped into unconsciousness. An hour later, she died. Elizabeth Masen never regained consciousness.

I did not have time to mourn Elizabeth. No doctor ever has time to mourn a patient. But I had made this one a promise. The boy, Edward, lay in the next bed over, seventeen, with only a few hours left. I had promised his mother on her deathbed that I would do everything I could to save him. I was going to keep my promise. Edward did not have anyone left. Elizabeth had told me so. Nobody would miss him.

So with the boy unconscious, I laid both of them on gurneys and covered them with clothes for the morgue. Nobody questioned me. These covered gurneys were so common in the hospital. As I rolled first Elizabeth, then Edward, down the halls toward the morgue, I wondered how to change Edward. He was dying, so I could not wait too long. I had to act soon.

I left Elizabeth's body in the morgue with the proper paperwork. Edward I picked up and, cradling the fading boy in my arms, carried him out the back door, over the rooftops of Chicago, and away from the hospital. I did not think I could change him there. I needed a private place. In the darkness, I took him back to the secluded house I had bought when I moved. It was on the outskirts of Chicago, removed from human contact. It was far away and took a while to drive to and from the hospital. But that was the price I paid for being cautious. I could drop the human charade at home.

I laid Edward on the couch in the living room (I did not sleep so I did not have a bed). The boy had not woken up, even during transportation. Blood was beginning to flow from his ears. I could not wait too long. It was now or never.

I decided to recreate the wounds I had suffered. Leaning in, I bit into his arms and chest and neck. Again and again and again. Bloodlust filled me each time. It was torturous to pull myself away from the red blood that tasted so sweet, only to have to bite again and cause more to flow. I was like a shark. Once I tasted the blood, it was nearly impossible to pull away.

Somehow I did. After the last bite, I threw myself back, biting down hard on my own hand. It hurt, but there was no blood. The boy had woken up by then as the venom, my venom, rushed through his veins, fixing every flaw. Within minutes, I no longer smelled the flu about him. He writhed in pain, shouts escaping his lips. I watched over him day and night, alternating between regret and anticipation. Regret in putting the boy though this kind of pain, and anticipation for when his transformation would be complete.

He writhed for two days and nights before finally settling. I could hear his heart as it beat harder, stronger, faster, against the retreating venom. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Faster and faster until there was no noise at all. Edward's heart stopped.

The boy's eyes flashed open, not the bright green they had been before, like his mother's, but the bright red I remembered from my first few months. He had been handsome as a human boy, but he was stunning now. He would have a harder time with feminine attention then I had every time I moved to a new hospital. Edward leapt up, looking around disoriented. Briefly, I thought back to my first night as a vampire.

"That's what you are?" Edward said. His voice was melodic, flowing. But I did not understand what he was saying. What did he think I was?

"I'm right here," he said, seemingly annoyed. He scowled at me, answering my unasked question. My unspoken question. Edward was gifted! He was reading my thoughts!

Edward looked puzzled for a moment, and then his expression relaxed. "I guess I am reading your thoughts. And the human walking by on the street is worried about walking alone, at this time of night." His voice trailed off as he inhaled.

I realized what was happening. Edward was a newborn. He was incredibly strong, and uncontrollably thirsty. Already, the boy was stalking the human, crouched over like a cougar, stalking deer.

Edward you must not! I thought deliberately. Do not be a monster!

Edward paused and looked back at me. "I am thirsty!" He growled, deep in his throat.

"Let me show you the right way!" I pleaded, desperately trying to draw his attention away from the unsuspecting pedestrian outside. "There is an alternative. You hear their thoughts. Could you really kill that human? Could you end their life?"

Edward glanced back and forth between me and the door. I could tell he understood my intentions. He could read my mind, and know I had only his best interests at heart, and thought for the innocent's life.

Edward dashed out the door but I was hot on his trail. The front door didn't even close before I was out on the street right behind the newborn vampire. Edward was incredibly fast even for a newborn, but I had been anticipating this. All the vampires I'd spoken to about newborns had told me the bloodlust always won out. I had been an anomaly, able to control myself so early. I hypothesized that it was because I had been so repulsed by what I was.

Edward seemed to have no such limitations though. The human whose thoughts he'd heard was just down the street. I had to stop him before he got too close. I didn't want to have to move just yet.

I took a flying leapt and tackled Edward to the ground. We rolled off the sidewalk, into the trees that lined the road. The human had no idea of the fight that was taking place not 200 feet from them. Edward fought to break away, but I held on tight. I had to. That unfortunate human's life was at stake, not to mention our secrecy.

Edward snarled, trying to gain purchase on my arm, head, leg, anything he could contact. I was careful to keep them out of his reach. I didn't need him ripping an extremity off. He was strong, but I was more experienced. I ripped a patch off the bottom of my shirt and clamped it to his face, smothering him. With any other person, this would have meant death, but vampires don't need air. This just made Edward uncomfortable and caused him to loose the human's scent.

I stayed clamped to Edward's back with my hand over his face until the human was far enough away I couldn't smell them. Only then, did I let Edward stand. He growled at me, but didn't attack.


	7. Chapter 7: Hunting

_Chapter 7: Hunting_

"There's another way Edward," I told him. "You don't have to feed on humans. Animal blood works just as well."

Edward was angry that I had cost him his prey, but in reading my thoughts, he seemed curious. "Show me," he commanded.

Hold your breath, I cautioned silently. We ran, not towards the street, but into the trees behind my house. And we kept running, until we were far from even an outlying farmhouse. I only stopped when I had no trace of a human scent in the air or on the ground. But there were plenty of deer around.

"Why do you drink animal blood?" Edward asked. It was odd for him to hear my thoughts. It left much out of the conversation. But it wasn't necessarily a bad thing when I came to explaining difficult concepts.

I replied mentally, thinking about the feeling I had towards drinking human blood, the mild satisfaction that came with drinking animal blood, and the happiness I felt that I could still protect human life, even though I was a vampire.

"Close your eyes Edward. What do you smell?" I waited as Edward's eyelids covered his blood red pupils and he took a deep breath in through his nose.

"What is that awful smell?" he gasped, covering his nose. "It smells like moldy cheese!"

"That would be herbivore," I corrected. "I agree it isn't as good as a carnivore."

Edward wrinkled his nose, but nodded. He would try.

"Tell me where it is," I said. I already knew, so Edward did too, but I wanted him to pinpoint the deer's location with his senses.

"North of here, about 500 feet. Grazing in a meadow." He began stalking the deer, like he had with the human. I tensed again, but relaxed when I remembered what he was hunting. Deer. The right thing to hunt.

Edward stalked the deer, crouched over like a mountain lion hiding low in the grass. The trees opened into the meadow where the deer were grazing peacefully. The wind was blowing our scent away from them. I had noticed that whenever an animal caught the scent of a vampire, they'd run away. It all came back to survival instincts. Humans' instincts told them to run too, but animals were more prone to act entirely on instinct. Human psychology told them it would be rude to do something like that. So they remained, but they kept their distance.

I followed him, crouching below the grass' top so I didn't ruin _this_ hunt for him. Edward crept forward, completely silent. Not a blade of grass was out of place, not a rustle reached mine or the deer's ears. Edward was a natural, which both scared me and made me feel proud. When Edward was within leaping distance, he sprang, a ferocious growl tearing the silence of just a moment before.

The deer didn't even have time to react before Edward tackled it and clamped his jaws around the deer's throat, teeth sinking into the lean meat. I took the opportunity to bring down my own deer before the herd bolted. Edward had gone for the buck; I went for a weak doe on the fringes of the herd. I bit through the skin and muscle easily, nothing standing up to my vampire teeth, as hard as or harder than diamonds. As I fed, I kept an eye on Edward. He was greedily lapping up the blood that flowed from the buck's neck. The animal kicked a little as he fed, but soon it was still. I had broken my doe's neck before feeding, preferring not to make the animal suffer as I drained it of its blood. I made a mental note to suggest thus to Edward before feeding again.

I finished with the doe quickly. Years of practice had allowed me to feed without even creasing my shirt. Not a drop of blood spilled on my doctor's lab coat, that I'd yet to remove in three days. Edward on the other hand, looked like he'd been mauled by a bear. Blood splattered the clothing I'd changed him into as he'd transformed. The light blue shirt was ripped where the buck had tried to tear him with its antlers. Edward wasn't harmed of course.

"It doesn't taste much better than it smells," Edward commented, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"I know," I admitted, "But it keeps you strong."

Edward nodded. "I need some more," he said. He didn't wait for me to walk him through the steps of finding prey again. Just in case, I took a deep breath to make sure no humans had wandered too close when we were feeding off of the deer. The range was still clear. Better yet, a male black bear was foraging nearby. Bear tasted better than deer, and were a little more challenging because of the claws and teeth.

Edward was off, running low through the trees. I followed close behind, ready to stop him if he got distracted by a more appetizing scent. Ahead I could hear the bear's paws thumping softly on the ground. This bear was big for a black bear. Perfect. As we got closer, I remembered what I'd wanted to tell Edward.

Try snapping the neck before you start feeding, I suggested. It's more humane.

Edward barely nodded his head in acknowledgement. He was intent on the hunt. The bear had begun to climb a tree, probably to settle down. Edward crouched out of sight, watching its progress up the tree. Bears were excellent climbers. But so were vampires.

Edward darted up the tree, not even rustling a leaf. He was so good at stealth. The bear didn't even see him coming. Edward leapt on the bear's back, grabbing its head. With a resounding crack, the animal's neck broke and the two of them went tumbling through the branches to land with a Thud! on the forest floor. Edward was already feeding before they hit the ground.

He finished with the bear quickly, sitting back on his heels when the carcass was empty of blood. "I think I'm full for now," he announced. "But I'm still thirsty."

"You always will be," I told him. "That's part of this life."

**Right now, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank those who've stayed with me thus far. It's been a long process of providing the early parts of Carlisle's life, but now that the Cullen family will begin to form, things will start to pick up. So keep reading and don't forget to review, because that's the only way I can get any better!**

**-WishingOnMyStar**


	8. Chapter 8: Moving On

_Chapter 8: Moving On_

"You're that doctor, aren't you?" he asked. "The one who tended my parents and I, during the night."

"Yes," I replied.

"Where are they?"

I had been expecting a question of the sort. I still hadn't found a way to tell him gently, so I decided on a fact-based approach.

"They died Edward. Your father first, about two days ago, and your mother, just as I came on shift."

Edward grimaced, but he didn't seem very surprised about the news. My instinct told me he'd been expecting thus. "Why did you change me?" he asked.

"On her deathbed, your mother asked me to do everything I could to save you." I thought back to the exchange. "I could've sworn at that moment, she knew my secret. Something in her eyes."

"So you did as she said," Edward continued. "You took me home and made me one of you."

"I made a promise," I reminded him.

"And you're a vampire, who only drinks animal blood and wants to save humans. I don't think I've ever heard of such an animal."

I laughed. I liked Edward already, even though during our first exchange, he'd been trying to rip me to shreds to attack an unsuspecting bystander.

"When I was in Italy, I became the source of a legend, Stregoni Benefici."

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"It's going to be time to move on," I told him. "You're too recognizable in your home city. At least for the next fifty years or so. How do you feel about Wisconsin?"

Edward shrugged. "I've never really been outside of Illinois. My parents were not ones to travel."

"Then I think Wisconsin would be a good place to go," I replied. "I need to wrap up some things here. I can do that tomorrow, take money out of the bank, turn in my letter of resignation, and sell the house." I wasn't really talking to him by then, just going through the familiar list of things to do when I moved to a new place. I had intended to stay in Chicago for a couple more years, but I didn't want any trouble with the sudden disappearance of Edward's body. I could just write personal reasons for the letter of resignation and they would think that I just couldn't handle the pressure.

We returned to the house and I sat down at my desk to write the letter that I had written so many times before. If I didn't have a vampire memory already, I would have memorized the form of the letter by now.

Edward roamed the house, examining my things. In the hallway, leading to my study, I had hung a series of pictures that I collected over time. Pictures of England in the 1630s, a picture by Solimena of a ball that I had attended with the Volturi, pictures of Paris, Madrid, Rome, Philadelphia, Harvard, every home I'd had for the last 255 years. The wall was covered and the pictures became newer as they came closer to my office. At the end of the hallway, hung the cross my father had carved himself for the church. I had returned to the church where my father had preached a little more than a hundred years after leaving. It was bigger. They had expanded the altar, and had added a chapel. That was where I'd found the cross my father had carved. It hung by the confessionals and under it was a plaque that read "Carved by Pastor Robert Cullen, 1631." I had taken the cross, leaving behind a similar cross, blessed by a bishop. I figured that would be enough of a payment for my father's cross.

"One day," Edward said from the hallway, calling louder then was really necessary, "you will have to tell me your entire story. I have a feeling it is very interesting."

"Perhaps one day," I agreed, barely speaking louder than a whisper. I finished the letter, sealing it up and addressing it to the hospital. It would find its way into the proper hands, and I would be far enough away that they wouldn't be able to find me to ask any questions. I glanced up at the grandfather clock that stood in my office. It was 3 AM, too early to do anything, but as a vampire, you can't sleep. I figured now would be a good time to fill Edward in on the particulars. It would be hard moving on at such a short notice, usually I had months to plan, but we couldn't stay for long. I needed to move Edward to a place with less temptation. Wisconsin sounded like a good state to look. A good place to make a fresh start. This time, I would have someone else to think about.


	9. Chapter 9: My Angel

_Chapter 9: My Angel _

I packed up the essentials and shipped them on to a house I purchased in Ashland. Edward and I took longer to meander our way to the new house, preferring to wander like nomads for a while, working on his self-control and sampling the local wildlife. We slept under the stars for about two years, before finally coming into Ashland during the night.

Edward was adjusting well to the different lifestyle, but I still wasn't sure if he was ready for human contact. I could see the conflict on his face when the wind blew the wrong way. In being able to read my mind, he was more willing to trust that I knew what I was doing in telling him to control his thirst. He wasn't a newborn any more, but he was still young and susceptible to his instincts.

Settling in, Edward and I agreed that he would be a cousin of mine. We would use my last name "Cullen", since I'd never been in this area before. I would work the night shift and Edward would remain at home. He should have been in school during the day, but both of us agreed we shouldn't push our luck. Edward would remain home, for safety.

I was working one night in the hospital when an ambulance brought a young woman in. She had jumped off a cliff, attempting suicide, but for what reason was unknown. She was presumed dead, but I still had to look over her to be sure.

The mangled body was devastating to see. Each limb was bent out of shape, shattered in some places. Her chest was collapsed with multiple ribs puncturing her lungs. Her hair was so covered in blood and grime, even I could not tell its real color. But something about the curve of her mouth brought back a distant memory of a young girl in Ohio, who'd fallen from a tree and had sat quiet as I'd tended her broken leg.

I checked the name on the papers. "Esme Evenson." Had the girl not spoken of a Charles Evenson, who her parents had admired? Perhaps the Esme Platt I had tended as a child had grown up to marry Charles. The age would be right. I'd tended the 16 year old girl ten years ago. This woman was 26.

It means nothing Carlisle, I told myself. She is married, and probably dead. Just examine the body and sign off. I checked her eyes and checked off all the preliminary requirements to pronounce a person dead, before moving on to the more major ones. A heartbeat, for instance. At first I didn't feel a pulse in her wrist. But as I listened closer, I could hear a slight beating. A soft pulse that gave me hope. She wasn't dead! Her heart still beat! I listened at her throat. She was hardly breathing, but that was there too. She was barely alive, and fading.

I had to change her. I looked at her through the tempting blood that cause venom to pool in my mouth still, and I saw beauty. The same beauty that Esme Platt from Columbus, Ohio had exhibited ten years before. Except this was more mature. Without a second thought, I signed for Esme's death and wheeled her towards the morgue. But like Edward before, Esme didn't stay in the morgue. I picked her up and took her back to the house away in the woods where Edward and I lived.

Edward was waiting for me when I rushed inside, cradling Esme's broken body to my chest. Her blood dripped on my lab coat. Edward was already holding his breath against the smell.

"Edward, go outside and get fresh air," I suggested. Edward left without protest. I laid Esme on the couch, just as I had with Edward, though I felt more rushed. Without pausing for even a breath, I bit into her skin where I thought the venom might do some good, at major veins. I needed to get my venom to her heart to keep it going. Already the light pulse was fading.

For the longest time, nothing seemed to happen and I worried that I had been too late, that this angel who slumbered in front of me, had faded away. But I began to hear a stronger thumping in her chest. The venom was working! My angel began breathing deeper as the venom spread through her arteries from the heart, and back through the veins. I sat by her, not breathing myself. I listened to each beat of her heart, always waiting for the next. If her heart had stopped at any time before her transformation was over, I don't think I would have breathed again.

As the minutes wore on, I watched her wounds heal and watched as her breathing and heart rate increased to normal levels and beyond. The first sound to escape her lips was a cry of pain. A cry that wrenched my silent heart and made me spring to my feet, ready to defend her from whatever was causing her pain. But I couldn't. The pain was my own doing, my venom that burned inside her. I could only sit by, gripping her hand as it tightened with each new wave of pain. I was reminded of my transformation. It was almost 300 years ago, but was made raw by Esme's suffering. I would go through that pain again, if it meant stopping hers. I would take all her pain ten times over, if it meant she never felt it again.

I never left my angel during the whole four days of her transformation. Only once did I let go of her hand, and that was when Edward brought me water and a cloth to wash the blood from her face and arms. I spoke softly to her, telling her to hold on, that everything would be alright, reminding her of the meadow where she used to swing with her friends, and the tall oak that she'd climbed on a bet. The one that had caused us to first meet.

Edward hunted alone, carefully staying to the proper diet. The "vegetarian" one, as I called it. I was proud of him for staying in control while I was occupied. Only after three days alone, did Edward come to sit with me at Esme's side.

"You really care for her," he said. "I can tell. And you've seen her before, years ago."

"Ten," I replied.

"She remembers you," he said softly. "She hears your voice and remembers you from Columbus."

I was puzzled for a moment, and then realized that Edward was hearing Esme's thoughts.

"Is the pain receding?" I asked.

"A bit," he replied. "She can feel her fingertips again. It doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"That's good," I commented. It wasn't that we both didn't know how the transformation worked, but that I wanted Esme to hear it. I wanted to reassure my angel that all was well and that it would soon be over.

"She is curious," Edward murmured. "Curious about you, and me. Curious whether or not she is in heaven." Edward chuckled. "She thinks our voices are too wonderful to be humans. She thinks we're angels." He laughed again, almost bitter. "We are far from."

"We are hardly angels," I agreed, looking at Esme's round, lovely face. The face I had burned into my memory. It was peaceful now, as compared to only a while ago when it had cried out in pain. "But perhaps she is."

Edward sighed, looking at Esme. "Perhaps," he said, resigned. "But she has suffered much, before you even brought her here." He disappeared upstairs, probably to his own room, leaving me to watch over my angel.

Early in the fourth day, Esme's heart began to beat faster and faster. The venom was retracting into her heart, the last human organ. It beat faster and faster, in a desperate attempt to fight the venom. But it was doomed as soon as the venom entered her body. As the venom worked to consume her heart, the muscle beat faster and faster and faster until it abruptly stopped.

**Cliffhanger! Muahhaha! I know I'm mean to leave you hanging like this, but what kind of writer would I be if I answered your every question right away and didn't leave you coming back for more? Stay tuned, the next chapter in Carlisle's story is coming. Don't forget to review me and a special thanks to catchstardust and Emiliana Keladry for already doing so. **

**-Wish**


	10. Chapter 10: Accident

_Chapter 10: Accident_

My breath caught in my throat for the first time since I died as a human and became a vampire. When Esme opened her eyes and the red pupils fell on me, my heart soared. She was the most beautiful person I'd ever laid eyes upon, human or vampire.

She looked around, confused. "Where am I?" she asked. "Am I in heaven?"

Edward snorted from behind me. "Hardly," he replied. "You're still in Wisconsin, Ashland to be exact."

"Ashland?" Esme looked around. "But I jumped. I shouldn't be alive right now. And everything is so colorful. What is that eighth color? I've never seen it before. And it's all so clear and…" her eyes fell on my face once more, "…perfect."

"You did fall Esme," I said softly. "When they brought you to the hospital, they thought you were dead. I was supposed to confirm it."

"Dr. Cullen," she said in recognition. "I remember you. You haven't changed at all!"

"That's because I don't age," I told her. "Esme, Edward and I, and now you, are vampires."

Esme's face fell. "Vampires? You mean you drink…" Her sentence fell off and I recognized the look in her eyes. It was the same look Edward had had, two years before, when he'd first felt his thirst. She was a newborn, and quickly drowning in her thirst. I had to explain, while I could still reason with her. Before she succumbed to the thirst completely.

"Esme listen to me." She turned back to my, pain playing across her face. My own thirst burned in my throat, since I hadn't fed in almost two weeks. "Edward and I have chosen a different lifestyle. There is an alternative to feeding from humans. Edward and I drink animal blood. It keeps us strong, and we don't need to kill innocent people to sustain ourselves. It's hard, but it's the right thing to do. Will you join us?"

Esme looked entirely baffled. Her blood red eyes darted between Edward and me, and then the door. We could all faintly smell humans out the front door. The nearest road was only 100 yards from the door. People passed on the road on their way to work in their Ford Model T's, not a care in the world.

Reading her thoughts, Edward moved in front of the door. He would help me restrain her, if she lost control.

"Come Esme," I said, offering her my hand. "Let's hunt."

At the mention of hunting Edward's eyes lit up. Esme's reaction was a little less enthusiastic, more uncertain, but she took my hand anyways.

We ran out the back kitchen door, Edward right behind Esme and me. He was faster then us, but he remained back, in case Esme broke off. I took her north, into Minnesota, coming close to the Canadian border before stopping. Esme looked slightly disappointed. But she smelled a grizzly bear, just up wind from our position. Edward tensed, ready to go after it. Carnivorous animals tasted better than herbivores, mainly because they eat other animals. While I was reluctant to let my angel take on a grizzly so soon after waking from her transformation, I knew she was tough enough to handle the bear.

"What's that smell?" she asked, taking a deep breath. "It's like, chicken or something." I never thought of describing grizzly as "chicken", but maybe everything smells different.

"That would be a grizzly bear," Edward said. "About half a mile up wind from here." He sniffed again. "Male and hungry." He grinned, flashing his teeth in the dim morning light.

"Is that what we're hunting?" Esme asked. She'd already started in the direction the smell was coming from.

"Yes," I replied. "Basically."

"Hm." She began running against the wind, following the fairly appealing scent. Grizzly still wasn't as delicious smelling as human, but it was better then elk, which was also present. Esme was a bit more fluid than Edward or I in her movements, though as she stalked the bear, she seemed uncertain. I was too. The bear was huge, big enough to feed probably all three of us. Compared to the bear, Esme looked like a doll that would be swatted aside. My gut clenched, my instinct telling me to go throw myself in front of her. To protect her from the animal.

But Esme was just as much a predator as Edward or I was. She pounced and I flinched as she collided with the bear, head on. Its jaws closed around her arm, but it might have done more damage to a tree trunk. Esme didn't even seem to notice as she gripped the bear around the head; arm through its mouth like a horse's bit. She bit down on the bear's neck as Edward landed on its back. I hadn't even noticed him pass me. I was the odd man out, still standing, watching dumbfounded as my companion and my angel drained the animal of blood. There wouldn't be any left for me if I didn't hurry. The scent of the bear's blood brought me out of my stupor and I joined them, taking a bite from the neck, opposite Esme. The fur was thick and uncomfortable, since the weather was getting colder as winter approached. But the brief satisfaction of the bear's blood overwhelmed that particular aspect of the hunt.

The bear was drained quickly, filling all three of us. Edward and my eyes were now a golden topaz color. Esme's eyes remained blood red, but it would be months before they were our color. She looked down at her shirt, covered in fresh blood. I was clean, and Edward only had maybe a drop on his collar.

"I'm still thirsty," she said, "but I'm not sure I could drink anymore."

"The thirst will always be there," I told her. "The key is to keep it in check. Somewhere in the back of your mind. When it comes to the forefront of everything else, is when you fall to it."

Esme nodded, seeming to hang off of my words. I knew how I felt about her. She was my angel, come down from heaven. I would protect her with my life, whatever it was worth. It didn't occur to me until then, that she might feel the same way.

Esme opened her mouth to say something, and stiffened. I smelled it the second after she did. A human, male and in distress, was wandering closer to our position.

"Esme no!" But she was already off. I was right after her. "Edward, go home," I told the boy. He was fighting the scent himself and wouldn't be much use in stopping Esme.

Edward headed in the opposite direction as I followed Esme's trail at top speed. She was running faster then me, using her newborn strength. I wasn't going to catch up in time. I could just feel it. I would arrive to find my angel, feeding from a poor hiker who'd lost his way.

The thought gave me speed as I ran, the smell becoming fresher and fresher. I was catching up, but would it be enough?

I arrived in the meadow too late. A hiker was trapped in the vise of an angel. My angel. The hiker looked fearful, but he was pale already, and weak. Esme knelt over him, lapping up the red blood that flowed from her bite. The smell of the human's blood brought extra venom to my own mouth. I longed to join her, but the thought was repulsing to me.

Esme dropped the hiker's body, stepping back with a look of sheer horror on her face. I rushed forward as she knelt, a hand pressed over her mouth.

"What have I done?!" she wailed, dry sobbing. Vampires couldn't produce tears. "What have I done?"

"It's alright," I tried to reassure her. I wrapped my arms around her, turning her face away from the body. "You are new to this life," I reminded her. "You can't help it."

"It smelled so good," Esme cried. "And it tasted wonderful. Why does something so horrible have to taste like that?"

"It is our nature," I replied simply. "But we don't have to follow it."

Esme buried her head in my chest and I breathed in her sweet scent. Like cinnamon sugar. I rocked her gently as she mourned the life of the hiker she'd never even known. We sat in the meadow as the sun rose in the sky and our skin sparkled. Only as it reached high over head, did we finally move.

First Esme marveled at the quality of our skin in sunlight. Then we dug a grave for the hiker, carving a marker from a stone with our fingers. When we had buried the hiker to our satisfaction, we returned home. Edward waited patiently. He was good at waiting.

"I'm going to say it didn't go well," Edward murmured to me. He didn't need a reply from me to confirm it.

Esme looked down at her clothing and winced. Her shirt was caked with dried blood, her own, the grizzly's, and the hiker's.

"I think you need new clothing," I commented. Esme nodded.

"I could go tonight," Edward suggested. "While you are at work. Esme could come along with me. I promise we'll be safe."

Esme looked unsure, and truthfully, I felt the same way. Edward was only two years a vampire, and Esme was not even a day! It would be so easy for them to lose control, and in such a public place, our secret would get out and the Volturi might come.

But I looked in Edward's eyes and I knew that he would keep control. And once more, he would help Esme keep control too. So with great reluctance, I gave them enough money for Esme to buy a whole wardrobe, and a borrowed set of clothes to wear until then.


	11. Chapter 11: Rebellion

**A/N: My first update of the New Year! Thanks for all the comments you've given me in the one week or so of 2008 that I've posted things. Don't forget to keep commenting because that's the only way I get any better. **

**Wishing you all a good year!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 11: Rebellion_

A year passed and Esme lost the newborn bloodlust. In the time, she killed one other time, a man who was stupid enough to try to attack my angel.

As Esme lost the newborn's irresistible bloodlust, her more human feelings presented themselves. We came to love each other. Esme was my angel. My light I the darkness. Everything about her was perfect to me. I adored her, and sought to spend more time in her presence. Edward enrolled at the local university, taking courses in music and art. They occupied him during the day and helped him develop his self-control.

As Esme's second vampire birthday drew near, I began to think about a major decision. I loved Esme, and wanted to be with her forever. I knew that much.

And I also knew that she loved me. So, after talking to Edward about it, I went out and bought a ring. A 1 carat diamond ring, square-cut with absolutely no flaws, like her.

That morning, Edward and I threw her a party, each giving her gifts. Edward gave her a song he'd composed. He played it for her on the piano, in addition to giving her a copy of the sheet music. Esme gave him a long hug, preferring to pass on her thanks mentally, rather than trying to put her feelings into words. When she finally let Edward go, we went out in the backyard for my gift. It glinted off our skin, making it sparkle and throwing off pink rays.

"Esme," I said. "You know that I love you more than anything in the world. And if you'll have me, I will spend eternity with you." I knelt at her feet, pulling the ring in its velvet box from my pocket. As I opened it, the sun's rays glinted off it, much like our skin.

"Will you marry me?" I asked.

Esme looked shocked, looking between Edward, the ring, and I. "Absolutely," she replied, breathless and smiling.

A grin broke across my face and I can honestly say it remained there through the wedding, two months later. Edward was my best man and Esme asked a neighbor friend of hers to be her brides' maid. The day of the wedding, we all gathered in the local church's chapel, the two of us, Edward, the neighbor, and a few colleagues from the hospital. Esme wore a stunning, pale blue dress, silk and simple, yet elegant. Though, I was pretty sure she would have looked just as beautiful to me if she'd been wearing the same over-sized clothes I'd lent her on the first day after her transformation. That day, Esme Evenson became Esme Cullen, the vampire wife of a vampire, though only she, Edward, and I actually knew it.

We honey-mooned on an uncharted island, not caring if the sun or the moon was out. I held her close the entire week we were away, never once letting go. It was the happiest time of my 283 years.

But upon returning, we found Edward in less than perfect shape. While we had been away, Edward had succumbed to his thirst and killed a girl one late night. Her death was featured in the newspaper because it was so baffling to police. Edward had done a good job of covering his tracks.

Esme and I were disappointed, but forgiving. Esme herself had killed two already. Edward had made a mistake, a horrible mistake, but Esme and I still loved him. We mourned the death in private.

As time drew on, we prepared to move again. We decided to keep this house, in case we ever returned. It was 1927, four years after I married Esme, and almost ten years after Edward joined me.

And Edward was having a hard time. He was lonely, now that Esme and I had each other, but he was also growing tired. Not tired in the way a human could grow tired, from lack of sleep, but tired in the vampire way, mentally and emotionally. He was more inclined to moodiness, more like a teenager. He often snapped at Esme and me, creating tension in our family. Come summer time, in 1927, the tension came to a head.

Edward, Esme, and I were hunting elk in the forests north of our home, a simple hunting trip to sustain us for the coming week. It was easier to control our thirst when we had plenty of blood. The trip started out fine, all of us catching relatively large prey. But as we fed, I could almost feel Edward's disgust radiating from him. Edward shoved the elk away, halfway through feeding, a feat not easily done.

"I'm sick of this!" he growled.

Esme and I pulled ourselves away from our own kills. "What's wrong Edward?" Esme asked, concerned.

"I'm sick of always denying what I am! I'm sick of feeding off this lesser blood when we all know what will really quench our thirst is human!"

"Edward!" Esme was shocked, and so was I. Edward always seemed to understand why we fed from animals. He could read my mind and understand why we abstained from human blood. He had felt Esme's turmoil when she had killed both of those men. He had been upset himself after killing the girl while we were away. I never thought I would have to explain any of this to Edward.

"Edward," I said calmly, "It's not right. Feeding from humans is murdering innocent people."

"But what if they weren't innocent?" he countered. "How many serial killers, rapists, child abductors roam the streets? Hundreds, if not thousands! What if we only fed from them? They aren't innocent, and we'd be saving others!"

"Who are you to decide who is innocent and who is guilty? Who am I?" I asked him, my Anglican background shining through. "Only God knows what is truly in a man's heart."

"But I know what is in his head," Edward replied, tapping his own temple in emphasis. "I can know their true motives."

I shook my head still. "It still isn't right. I will not be a judge over others."

Edward's expression hardened. "Then I will go save others without you." He turned and sprinted away, and though Esme and I chased after him, he was faster than both of us and soon left us behind.

Esme wept her dry tears that night at the loss of Edward. We were reluctant to move that fall, as we'd planned to, not sure if Edward would be able to find his way back if we did. But we couldn't stay in Ashland; people were starting to ask us about our ages. We were becoming conspicuous. So we settled on a short move, west to Minneapolis, Minnesota. We were still close enough to check if Edward came home, but far enough away to avoid suspicion.


	12. Chapter 12: The Prodigal Son

_Chapter 12: The Prodigal Son_

Esme and I settled into life as a young married couple with their first house in Minneapolis. But it didn't take long for us to realize we couldn't have any children. My theory on the issue was based on the fact that vampire bodies don't age. We are suspended in the state we were when we changed. A vampire can't have babies because we're stuck how we were when we changed.

Esme became depressed, lamenting our own sterility, and the loss of the one who had come closest to being her son, to a different life. A life neither of us agreed with. Even I could not cure her of her sorrow, and I doubted medicine would do anything. Years passed with just the two of us. Esme took a job of her own as a school teacher. Being with children helped to ease her pain. And the students adored her. Slowly, I watched her depression ease as she came to love her students. It never really ceased, but it no longer consumed her.

Esme and I had stayed in Minneapolis for four years when we first got a hint of another vampire. An unfamiliar scent greeted us when we returned after a hunt. It wasn't a human either. It was too sweet, and definitely not tempting. What's worse was that it was in our house. Neither of us were fighters, we didn't want to get into a disagreement. Esme and I agreed to keep an eye out.

The next day, we were confronted as we ran back towards Ashland to check back at the old house. We were running through the trees, heading northeast, back towards Wisconsin. We heard them before we smelled them, two vampires, male and female. They were taking no measures to conceal themselves, so we stopped, hoping that they wanted to only talk.

We paused at the base of a towering pine, probably older then I was. Three seconds later, the pair arrived at the pine also. They were mature vampires, with blood red eyes. They followed the regular eating regimen. Although they travelled as a pair, I did not think that they were together in anyway, except perhaps out of convenience.

"Can we help you?" I asked politely.

The male spoke up. "I am Randall, this is Mary. We were merely curious. We had not heard of any others in the area. Maybe the humans are losing their touch."

He meant the human police. They hadn't seen any murders. "I am Carlisle, this is my wife Esme," I replied. "And I don't think the police would find anything from us. We do not feed from the typical source."

"Is that why you're eyes are such a unique shade?" Mary asked, gesturing to her own blood-red pupils.

"A side effect," Esme explained. "We feed from animals and the blood turns our eyes this gold shade."

"Interesting," Randall commented. "You must have a lot of control to avoid feeding from humans. More than I have." He chuckled at his grime reference. It was all almost sinister.

"It is difficult," Esme admitted. She smiled at me, threading her fingers through my own. "But worthwhile."

"Yes well, we wish you luck," Mary said. "We were just curious, as Randall said. We will let you be on your way. Just…don't bring any others into the area. We'd hate to have to ask you to leave." Mary's double meaning was obvious. They didn't want the competition, and as long as it was just Esme and I, they would remain peaceful.

Mary and Randall left, heading back towards the city. Esme and I were wary from their exchange, but we continued on towards Ashland, placing the gathered information from the conversation away in our vast memories.

"I guess we know who had been in our home," Esme commented as we ran.

I nodded. Randall had been the vampire the unknown scent had belonged to. "Yes," I agreed. "And I think we'll have to forgive them for their insinuations."

Esme sighed, "They were just curious Carlisle."

We arrived back at our house a few minutes later. All thought of Mary and Randall was torn from our minds when we walked in. The prodigal son had returned, and sat in the living room, waiting as if he'd always been there.

"Edward!" Esme cried out. She darted around the couch and embraced her returned son.

Edward looked horrible. His eyes were dark, only slightly red. He hadn't fed recently, from human or animal. The dark circles under his eyes stood out in stark contrast with his pale skin. He looked haggard. But the expression on his face was one I'll never forget, even a thousand years later. His face was full of sorrow and penance. Sorrow for all the lives he'd taken in the four years he'd been gone. The time had taken a great toll on him, emotionally, mentally, perhaps even physically. As he embraced Esme, he looked to me, uncertain. Slowly he pulled away from Esme and walked around the couch to stand in front of me.

"Carlisle," he said. "Could you ever forgive me for making such a horrible mistake?" He bowed his head in shame. But he didn't realize that I'd already forgiven him.

"Edward," I sighed. He looked. There is nothing to forgive.

Edward's face lit up and relief played across his features. Relief that we forgave him. Relief to be home. Esme embraced him once more, and this time Edward really returned the gesture.

"Let's go," I said. Edward nodded, reading the explanation from my mind. We don't live here anymore. And you look like you could go hunting.

"I could even have deer right now," Edward agreed. The three of us left the Ashland house and headed southwest, hunting along the way. By the time we returned to Minneapolis, it was time for my shift at the hospital.

Edward fit back into our family as if he'd never left. With the exception of the first night when Edward told us everything, we didn't talk about his years away. Six months later, in December, we moved to Rochester, New York. Esme was sorry to leave her students, but there was nothing else to tie us to the area. Edward had returned, we could move on now. We moved to New York where Esme and Edward pretended to be brother and sister. There we lived peacefully until 1933.

**Sorry for not updating so quickly, but now that I'm back in school, I have other work to do. I'll try to stay on it but fear not, I've written up to Chapter 17. I just need to type it up. Keep with me and don't forget to review!**

**-Wish**


	13. Chapter 13: Rosalie Hale

_Chapter 13: Rosalie _Hale

In Rochester, the King family owned most of the human establishments. The Great Depression was rampant, but somehow it had skipped this town. We stayed distant, preferring not to draw attention to ourselves. I worked in the hospital, taking long hours so that I came on before sunrise in the morning and left after sunset. On rainy days, it didn't matter so much, but I was still careful not to be caught outside in the sun. Edward attended school, but kept to himself. Esme decided it best to remain home this time around. The less Cullens (or Hall in Edward's case) that were seen too often, the better. The hospital was perfectly fine with me working such hours. I was the most certified doctor they had.

And so I was on my way home from the hospital one cold night in April when I heard a commotion up ahead and ran to see if could help. I rounded the corner just in time to see Royce King and a band of his cronies drunkenly stumbling away. They left behind a body, lying in the gutter. I smelled the blood right away, but I ignored the reaction my body had, as I'd been doing for the last 270 years.

I ran at my vampire speed, halting before the unfortunate victim. I recognized the girl. Though her face was swollen and cut from the beating Royce and his drunk friends had dealt, I could still recognize the blonde hair and I could see the expensive engagement ring on her finger. This young woman was Rosalie Hale, Royce's fiancée. Royce and his friends had beaten her, probably raped her too, and had left her to die. Snow had started falling and I knew I had to get her away. She was dying. Her heart fluttered, light and irregular.

So I did what I thought would be best. I picked her up and ran her to the house. She seemed half coherent. I got her home and tried to help her, the human way. But she was slipping away, so I did the only thing left. I bit her, on the wrists, ankles, and neck. Even after changing Edward and Esme, it was hard to pull myself away from her blood. But her scream surprised me. I wasn't sure if it was in pain, or shock. I didn't have Edward there to tell me either, he and Esme had gone hunting in the Appalachians for the weekend. They were due back later that night.

I sat with her apologizing for each scream as my venom transformed yet another human.

"Please just kill me!" she begged. "Just kill me now!" I apologized over and over again. Around 3 AM, Edward and Esme returned home. Rosalie begged them to kill her too. Edward was angry. Angry that I'd brought her home. Angry that I'd bitten her. Esme was as compassionate as ever, sitting with her too. We told her everything, about what we were, what she was becoming, even if we weren't sure she was listening. In the second day, Edward confronted me.

"Carlisle, I'd like a word," he said. I had obliged of course, leaving Esme to watch over Rosalie. I stood up to face him, to listen fairly.

Edward took a moment to gather his thoughts. I could see his anger conflicting with the calm he usually exuded. "What were you thinking, Carlisle?" he demanded. "Rosalie Hale?"

He couldn't keep the irritation from his voice.

"I couldn't just let her die," I told him, keeping my voice low and measured. I hoped to avoid a fight. "It was too much—too horrible, too much waste."

"I know," Edward conceded. He seemed to understand.

"It was too much waste. I couldn't leave her," I repeated, my voice even softer.

"Of course you couldn't," Esme agreed from her place by Rosalie.

Edward's voice hardened. "People die all the time. Don't you think she's just a little recognizable, though? The Kings will have to put up a huge search—" He gave a low growl, "not that anyone suspects the fiend."

All four of us, Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and I were silent for a moment. I had told them what happened.

"What are we going to do with her?" Edward asked finally, the edge fading from his voice.

I sighed, looking over at the beautiful young lady who lay peaceful, almost in a slumber. Edward had told us she felt the pain receding. "That's up to her, of course," I said. "She may want to go her own way."

Edward seemed to hope that would happen. He left the house, only coming back six hours later, as Rosalie began to wake. Her heart stopped rather abruptly and when she opened her eyes, she didn't seem as confused as Edward and Esme had seemed. She sat up and looked around at all three of us, quite calmly.

"Rosalie," I said. "I'm Carlisle, and this is my wife Esme, and Edward."

"I know who you are Dr. Cullen," she said in a soft, beautiful voice. A beautiful voice to match her beautiful face. Next to Esme, Rosalie was the most beautiful vampire I'd ever seen. Her blood red eyes were alert, but didn't seem out of place on her face. After all, she was almost perfect.

Esme got a mirror and we once more explained everything to her. Rosalie seemed to admire her own beauty. Her face hardened as I described how I found her.

"Royce," she growled, when I told her about the boys leaving. She listened in silence as I told her about our lifestyle and offered her a place in our family.

She seemed to consider it, before finally agreeing. As we went hunting, the four of us, I watched her closely. Rosalie seemed quite calm. She didn't show any of the wildness of newborns, the bloodlust, or the extreme emotions. She seemed very passive, and it worried me. I was worried that she'd explode and go on a rampage. I expressed my concerns to Edward. He said she did have the newborn thirst, but the cold malice she feels towards Royce and his friends is overriding the thirst. He promised to keep a close watch on her thoughts. But days, then weeks passed and no such rampage or even any kind of outburst happened. She was very cool-headed.

Then one night, she left. Edward didn't know where she'd gone, she was careful about her thoughts around him, but he did know why. She was going to get her revenge. We didn't know what to do. We couldn't just call the police and tell them that a girl was going to murder some young men and the reason we knew was because Edward could read her mind. So we waited and prayed that she would forgive them and return to us.

Then names began to show up in the paper. Edward recognized them as the friends of Royce King. Rosalie was undoubtedly behind it. She was targeting the group that had left her to die, a month ago.

Esme wanted to try and find her, to stop her. Edward didn't seem to care what she did. He was of Rosalie's mindset. He thought Royce and his friends deserved what they got. It was I who made the decision to stay inconspicuous, for ours and Rosalie's sake. We couldn't expose ourselves. That wouldn't help her either. So we waited and watched as more bodies turned up and the list of dead grew longer. The Police thought some sort of psychopath was on the loose, someone with a vendetta against Royce and his wealthy friends. Edward snorted when he read the hypothesis in the paper.

"They're half right," he commented dryly, earning a stern look from Esme. The reports said all the victims had been beaten, or strangled, or drown to death, not drained of blood. They didn't even have any open wounds. The day Rosalie returned the body of Royce King and two of his bodyguards turned up in a vault of the Kings' bank. Rosalie didn't talk about it, or even mention Royce's name ever again, though Edward confirmed it had been her doing. At the end of Rosalie's first year, we left Rochester for the small town of Appalachia, Virginia.


	14. Chapter 14: Rosalie's Love

_Chapter 14: Rosalie's Love_

We bought a cabin about 20 miles outside the community of Appalachia without any problems. Rosalie and Edward played adopted children to Esme and I, which was half true. They took on a sibling relationship after we moved. Originally I had hoped that Rosalie might be to Edward what Esme was to me. But Edward never seemed to think of her as anything more than just a sister.

Rosalie took to hunting alone, rather then going with Edward, Esme, or I. It was alone that Rosalie came across a young hiker. Rosalie had been hunting in the Appalachians' southern part. That region had plenty of big game to provide a good challenge. Rosalie had been following mountain lion tracks when she heard a grizzly bear roar and the distinct cry of a human. She ran towards the sounds to find a very angry bear, mauling a young man of about twenty years.

Rosalie told me later that she had killed the bear, thus saving the boy, because he had reminded her of her old friend's son. I felt very fortunate at the time to be trusted enough for her to tell me that herself. Rosalie, not trusting herself to not kill the man, carried him back of a hundred miles to Appalachia. The trip was torturous for her, only two years to her new life and the human blood flowing thickly.

When they arrived, Esme, Edward, and I were home. She rushed inside, cradling the man's body to her chest, and pleaded with me to help him. He wasn't in good shape with multiple bite wounds, broken bones, and dislocated joints. He was almost in the same shape as Esme had been. And he was losing blood. Too much blood.

"Rosalie," I said. "He's not going to survive unless I change him, and even then he might lose too much blood before the venom can do anything."

"Please do it Carlisle," she pleaded.

I nodded and made my fourth vampire. I could control myself more easily this time. As soon as my venom was in his veins, the young man started writhing in pain. This time, Rosalie kept vigil at the young man's side. I checked on him at the occasions when he was quiet, but Rosalie never left him. She watched over him day and night as I had done for her, Edward, and Esme. I saw in Rosalie's eyes the same feelings that I saw in Esme when we were together. I knew then that this young man would stay with us. I knew before he ever opened his eyes.

After a little more then three days, I began to hear a difference in the man's heartbeat. His heart sped up, beating stronger then any of the others' had. I wondered what that might have meant. A new ability perhaps? Edward was the only one in the family that had displayed any sort of extra abilities.

As the young man's heart beat harder and faster, Rosalie tensed in anticipation of the end of his transformation. Esme, Edward, and I stood back a little, letting Rosalie have her space. All of us waited in silence, waiting for the moment his heart stopped, as all of ours had.

We listened as the one heartbeat in the house increased exponentially to fight the venom as it struggled to complete the transformation. It was a thunderous roar to our ears, which halted with a resounding final _Thump._

Rosalie inhaled sharply, but none of us dared to move. The young man on the couch (where Rosalie had laid him) stirred ever so slightly. The one of his eyes opened, looking around, before he opened the other. He sat up suddenly. The newborn was huge. Muscles rippled in his arms, across his chest and his stomach, and right on through his legs. I had no doubt that even as an older vampire, he would be incredibly strong. Briefly I wondered if that was the result of such a vital heartbeat. He looked extremely confused, but didn't seem to mind the unfamiliar setting so much when he saw Rosalie.

He leapt up from the couch suddenly with a deep grunt.

"Who're you?" he asked in a deep, ringing voice, tinted with a Tennessee accent. "And where'd that bear go?"

Edward laughed. "I like him already!" he exclaimed. The young man turned his attention on Edward.

"You are…?"

"I'm Edward Cullen," Edward replied.

"Emmett McCarty," Emmett replied, offering his hand to shake. Edward took it and gave one firm shake before letting go.

Emmett's attention fell to me next and I figured it was time to start explaining again. "My name is Carlisle Cullen. This is my wife, Esme. You've already met Edward and—"

"And I'm Rosalie Hale," Rosalie interrupted, stepping forward. Emmett looked down at her and smiled.

"Oh I remember you," he told her. "How's my bear friend doing nowadays?"

"He's feeding worms," Rosalie replied dryly.

"Too bad," Emmett replied, actually seeming disappointed. I wondered if he had a death wish as a human. "I was hoping for a rematch."

Esme and I exchanged wary looks. What kind of person had this Emmett been when he was human? With such a seemingly reckless and violent nature, would he follow the same eating habits we did? Or would the thought of killing humans not really bother him?

For the first time, I was uncertain if changing this young man had been a good idea. But then I watched him as Rosalie and Edward told him about what we are and what our lifestyle was like. Emmett seemed intimidating and rough at first, but as I watched the way he listened attentively to Rosalie, the look in his eyes as he smiled, I knew Emmett had been the right choice.

Rosalie and Edward took him on his first hunting trip. Esme and I stayed back and occupied ourselves with other things. They were gone for two days, before finally returning rejuvenated. Emmett slipped one time, mauling a hiker who had been stupid enough to try hiking off trail. They looked grim at the mention of the incident. Emmett sheepishly admitted that he lost control and Rosalie tried to assure him that it was an accident. I wasn't sure whether to be disappointed that the incident had happened, or relieved that Emmett slipped in a back wood, rather than in the middle of town. I settled for assuring Emmett that he would get better at controlling his thirst in time.

The eighteen months that the five of us stayed in the cabin in Virginia were an exciting time. The three younger vampires, all of which Esme and I treated like adopted children, bonded as a trio. Edward finally had a brother he could joke with, and Rosalie couldn't keep her eyes off of Emmett. Before we moved, Emmett and Rosalie married; it was a small ceremony like Esme and I had had in Wisconsin. Edward was once more best man, and Esme served as Rosalie's bridesmaid. The minister was the only truly living being at the ceremony. As a wedding present, Esme and I gave Rosalie and Emmett a house we'd been renovating. It was a large, grand estate on the shores of Lake Erie. Rosalie and Emmett disappeared there for about four months, only contacting us once when they knocked down part of a wall.

That winter, for our anniversary, I bought Esme the island we'd honeymooned on, naming it Isle Esme and having a big, open house built on it. One where we could all go and never have to hide. I had it populated with wildlife when we spent a few months of our own on it, a sort of family vacation with Edward.

After Rosalie and Emmett rejoined us from their spacious mansion that was luckily still standing, I moved the family to the West coast, a little village in Washington State called Hoquiam. We never expected to find what we did.

**And the Cullens keep growing. I know the family is growing fast, but according to the timeline on Twilight Lexicon and based on information given in the Twilight Saga, Carlisle's family grows at this rate. He barely gets rid of one newborn before gaining another. That's gotta be rough!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, keep with me and don't forget to review. Also, if you like this story, recommend it to your friends, family, random strangers, I don't really care who. Just make sure they review too!**

**-Wish**


	15. Chapter 15: The Pack

_Chapter 15: The Pack_

Hoquiam was a small town on the southern end of the Olympic Peninsula. I'd been there before, long ago when no humans had settled it besides a few Indian nations. The whole peninsula saw a lot of rain throughout the year, which was part of the reason I chose it. We could lead more normal lives if we didn't have to hide every time the sun came up. In Hoquiam, the sun had a hard time piercing the cloud cover, and on the occasions when it did, we had the ready excuse of family "hiking" trips. Trails criss-crossed the mountains and forests around Hoquiam; many families living there went hiking too.

Edward enrolled as a freshman, Rosalie and Emmett as sophomores, and I took a surgeon's job at the town hospital. Esme busied herself with renovating and decorating our new house, and volunteering for a few charities, local and in Seattle. Everything seemed fine as we settled into a new charade in Hoquiam. But things took an interesting twist one weekend when we went hunting up north.

The Olympic Peninsula is home to a number of American Indian reservations, but one reservation caught our attention. La Push, the home of the Quileutes. The locals told us that wolves grew big in La Push, as big as horses. The Quileute people, who believe they are descended from wolves, have a tribal law against killing them. But that didn't stop Emmett from wanting to get closer in hopes of running across one of them off Quileute land.

We went hunting one sunny weekend, coming close to the La Push boundaries. I insisted that we stay off their land to hunt. We'd just come across a herd of elk when the smell reached our nostrils. It was distinctly human, but there was something wrong with it. It smelled horrible and I saw the other fours grimaces at it as I wrinkled my own nose.

"Ugh! What's that smell?" Emmett groaned.

"I've never smelled it in all my 296 years," I commented. It smelled almost like a wet dog, but more potent and mixed with a still unknown scent. I definitely did not want to feed off of whatever it was that was giving off that God awful smell.

"Carlisle?" I turned around to where Edward was looking off into the trees.

"What do you hear?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, "Three minds…in one? Is that even possible?"

"Are we possible?" I asked.

All five of us followed Edward's gaze into the trees. At first we could see nothing. But slowly, three large animals broke free of the shadows. We saw their eyes first, too high off the ground. They were wolves, the size of horses, just as the locals had said. There were only three of them, but my family and I still tensed. They could do some serious damage; I had no doubt of that. All three entered the clearing, their teeth bared, and growling. A wave of the stink washed over us and I realized that the wolves were the source of the fowl scent.

"We're not welcome here," Edward said. "They've had dealings with other vampires before, and they weren't goo Carlisle."

At Edward's mention of my name, the center wolf with a silver and black pelt perked its ears up. The two on either side of it still bared their teeth, but all three were silent now.

"Edward?" I asked.

"They recognize your name," Edward replied. He looked sidelong at me. "You've been here before."

"Once very long ago," I admitted. "But they couldn't have been around back then." I had made the trip around 1810, hoping to find other vampires who might have lived off of animals, out in the wilderness where people we scarce. Needless to say I hadn't found any and I had returned east.

"Their ancestors were," Edward explained. He paused, listening. "They're going to talk."

The center wolf receded back into the trees, leaving the remaining two to guard its back. A moment later, a tall, muscular Indian dressed in a pair of cloth pants and nothing else emerged from the trees. He was almost taller then Emmett and looked like he could give my biggest adoptive son a good fight. The Indian's bare skin was a dark, auburn shade and his black hair was cropped short, rather than in the longer style the Quileutes seemed to prefer. He looked young; his face looked only about 20. But he had the body and development of a 27 year old body builder. I couldn't help but chuckle. Both of us were deceptively young.

Edward gave me a puzzled look that only lasted a tenth of a second. His attention was quickly drawn back to the two remaining wolves.

"I am Ephraim Black," the Indian said in a deep voice, slightly accented. "I am chief of the Quileute, people of the wolf. And your kind is not welcome here." Ephraim Black stood tall, taking advantage of his extra height over me. His face was emotionless, carefully set. He seemed to be trying to control his emotions, much like we controlled our thirst.

"I am Carlisle Cullen," I replied. "This is my family. We mean you no harm." Esme joined me on my right, Edward on my left, Rosalie and Emmett just behind our line. Emmett leaned slightly forward, ready to spring. Rosalie held a hand on her husband's arm, holding him steady.

"It is not our safety we are concerned about," Ephraim replied. "It is the duty of my brothers and me to protect all human life from the Cold Ones. I have heard of you before, Carlisle Cullen, from my grandfather. But do not think that reputation will save you."

We were walking a fine line. Ephraim and his pack were obviously not for letting us leave in peace. And I can honestly say my family was of the same mindset. Emmett was braced for a fight and Edward would be right behind him. I had to widen the line.

"Perhaps a truce can be arranged," I suggested. "My family and I are not like others of our kind. We refrain from drinking human blood, feeding instead from animals. We control our thirst and are therefore able to live in proximity with humans. We will not kill humans, or come on your land, and in exchange you will respect our property and not attack any of us without our breaking the agreement first."

Ephraim seemed to think over my offer carefully. He looked to the wolves on either side of him, speaking in his native tongue. The wolves replied in a series of whines and barks that Ephraim seemed to understand. These Quileutes were intriguing. I would have loved a chance to learn about this transformation they undertook, though I'm not sure they would agree to such a request.

"We will talk," Ephraim said finally.

We sat down and mapped out the boundary lines for the treaty and wrote it all down. The treaty took three hours to draw up by which time the sun had sunk below the horizon.

"You will stay off Quileute land," Ephraim read, "and you promise that none of you will bite any human; then we will respect your territory and will not attack you or any of your family."

I nodded. "Agreed then?" I asked.

"Agreed." Ephraim extended his hand. I grasped it, giving him a firm handshake. We sealed the deal and left for home.

"What does this mean now?" Esme asked me as we ran back to our house in Hoquiam.

It meant a lot of things now, but above all, "It means we are going to have to be very careful from now on," I told her. "All of us."

**Now the Quileutes show up, including Jacob's great granddaddy! Keep in mind; this is only their first run in. The Cullens are coming back, in a few generations. So stick with me and don't forget to review and tell others!**

**-Wish**


	16. Chapter 16: Unexpected Guests

**Hey there! Before you read this awesome 16****th**** installment to Rising Sun: The Carlisle Cullen Story, I'd just like to take the time to thank ****Emiliana Keladry****, ****AspiringWriter91****, and ****Jasper Hale x Alice Cullen**** for commenting regularly and reminding me to keep going, even when I get distracted by school. Thanks a bunch guys and I hope you enjoy!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 16: Unexpected Guests_

My family and I stayed in Hoquiam for four years, while Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett went through the motions of school. Then we moved back to the east coast while Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett went through the Harvard circuit. Edward followed in my footsteps, earning a medical degree. Rosalie went for an engineering degree while Emmett majored in Physics, of all things. Esme took courses in architecture and even I went back to learn some of the new techniques in my field. We were all careful to keep our thirst under control, but Emmett slipped twice. After the second time, he and Rosalie returned to the house Esme and I had given them and didn't return for a year.

We travelled from city to city on the east, the kids attending high school and college courses. We worked our way through the Ivy League, starting with Harvard. Once all three had graduated, we moved on to start again at high school in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Area. That was when we met two interesting characters.

Emmett and Edward were out hunting one weekend, leaving Esme, Rosalie, and I at the house. It was later in the day; I had already returned from my shift at the hospital. We honestly weren't expecting anyone when the door bell rang.

"It's probably just a salesman," Esme commented as she went to get the door. I had just gotten home a few minutes before. Esme opened the door and gasped. "Carlisle," she whispered. Even upstairs in my study, I could hear the fear in her voice. A million possibilities raced through my head. The Volturi had come, a human had learned of our secret, the angry mob had shown up, a hostile coven was trying to eliminate others in the area, Edward or Emmett was hurt! I rushed downstairs and had Esme behind my back, protected from whatever evil had shown up at our door, before a human could have even blinked. But what stood at the door didn't seem quite so dangerous.

A male and female vampire stood on the door step. The male had straw blonde hair, was muscular, and covered with a million bite wounds that marred his skin and made every instinct in me shout "DANGER!". At his side, the female seemed to be the exact opposite. She was quite short, not even five feet tall, with black hair and features that made her look like she'd just stepped our of a Grimm Brothers tale. Immediately, my attention was drawn to their eyes, not the blood or burgundy red of all the other vampires outside of my family, but the same butterscotch gold of my own eyes.

"Carlisle!" the girl exclaimed. "How good it is to see you! You must have just gotten home from the hospital!" She skipped over the threshold and gave me a hug, like we were old friends. I was thoroughly confused as I stood up from my defensive crouch, but still on edge. The dangerous male remained outside, watching the female with amusement.

The girl let go and ducked under my arm. "Esme! It's great to see you too! Did you ever finish the house in Massachusetts?"

"Um?" Esme seemed just as shocked as I was. Rosalie had joined us from the other room.

"Who are you?" she asked her body language tense.

"And Rosalie's here too!" the girl called to the man at the door. She was like a little kid who'd found everything she'd wanted under the Christmas tree. She bounced over to Rosalie and gave her a hug before looking around. "But I guess I won't get to meet your husband Emmett, or Edward either, until they get back from hunting."

I was worried for our safety now. This little girl knew too much about us and the male at the door had obviously had a lot of vampires try to kill him, and fail. The only explanation I could think of for the girl's knowledge was that she was a mind reader like Edward.

"Who are you and what do you want with my family?" I demanded.

The little girl danced to the door and pulled the blonde vampire inside before closing it. "Silly me," she replied. "I've learned so much about you, I forgot you don't know us yet! I'm Alice, this is my husband Jasper. We want to know which room is ours."

"Excuse me?" Rosalie asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.

"Well if you don't have a room ready that's fine," Alice replied. "You aren't the ones who can see the future. Edward can just read people's thoughts!"

Alice's words intrigued me. "You mentioned seeing the future," I commented. "I'm guessing you can?"

"Well only bits and pieces of it," Alice admitted. "The future is a very subjective thing."

"That's how you knew who we were?" Rosalie asked. "And where Edward and Emmett were?"

"Sure! I've been having visions of you guys for a couple months now!"

"And in these visions," I hesitated, "What do you see?"

"We're all a family. Edward and I are good friends. Rosalie is my shopping buddy. Jasper and Emmett like to horseplay a lot…" Alice trailed off, looking at Jasper. He nodded to her, perhaps in reassurance.

Alice looked around at each of our faces, her smile never fading. There was a moment of silence, the first since Alice stepped inside, and then Esme stepped forward.

"I guess we need to find you a room then," she said, taking Alice's hand.

Alice's face lit up and she half walked, half skipped up the stairs with Esme. I turned to Jasper, extending my hand.

"I'm Carlisle," I said. "I guess you're welcome here."

Jasper grinned, which looked almost malicious with his scars. "Alice is a little overwhelming at first. When I first met her, she was waiting for me at a diner in Philadelphia. She told me I was late!" Jasper had a southern accent that he seemed to try to repress.

"When Edward and Emmett get home, you two will have to tell us your whole story. I have a feeling it is quite interesting."

Jasper shrugged.

"Jasper!" Alice called from upstairs.

"You better go," I told him, smiling. Jasper nodded and disappeared upstairs.

When Edward and Emmett returned from their hunting trip, they were greeted with the same welcome from Alice that had frightened the three of us the day before. Now we watched with amusement as Edward read Alice's mind, seeing all the visions she spoke about, and as Alice climbed on Emmett's back to give him a hug.

Once introductions had been made, we sat down to hear Alice and Jasper's story. Alice went first, talking about her human memories, or lack thereof, and her subsequent visions of her with golden eyes, feeding from animals, her with Jasper in a diner in Philadelphia, and finally her visions of our own family. Alice's story seemed quite straight forward, though her lack of human memories puzzled me. Our human memories were foggy and indistinct, especially when we didn't focus on remembering them, but all of us had them still, even I who hasn't been human since the 17th century, almost 300 years ago.

Jasper's story was more in-depth. He was born in Texas and joined the Confederate Army. He advanced quickly, becoming a major before he was turned into a vampire by a Maria. He fought in the southern newborn wars, which I'd heard about already. The Volturi had had to step in to clean up as the southern vampires got careless about secrecy. Jasper was in charge of the newborns as Maria's partner because he could sense and influence emotions. He left Maria with the help of two newborns he'd let live, Peter and Charlotte. But because of Jasper's ability, he didn't like feeding from humans. He'd met Alice in Philadelphia and joined her, feeding from animals. They'd set out to find us after Alice had a vision of us.

"That was quite interesting," I remarked. Both Alice and Jasper had given me food for thought.

Edward seemed focused on others' thoughts. His face was screwed up in concentration and he didn't move a muscle. "The neighbors are curious," he said. "Nothing more. They—" he cut off and his eyes snapped to Alice. We all followed his gaze. Alice sat rigid; staring off, as if she wasn't really seeing what was really in front of her.

"Alice," Jasper called an edge to his voice. "Alice what do you see?"

Alice stared off a bit longer. "A field. Storm clouds. We're all there." She broke off and Edward picked up her description.

"It's a clearing in the Appalachians," he said. "No, it's the Poconos. And the sky is filled with thunderstorms. We're excited about something. Emmett has a baseball bat?"

Alice's vision broke off and both she and Edward sighed at the same time.

"A baseball bat?" Emmett scoffed. "We don't play sports. It's no fun when you have to throw the game." He growled audibly and Rosalie patted his back.

"That's what the thunder was for," Edward replied. "It masks the noise of a hit. A real hit."

Emmett's face lit up. "You mean we're gonna play ball? Sweet!"

"But the bat was odd," Edward added. "It wasn't wood, but metal. I haven't seen any of them like it."

"That would make sense," I commented. "A wooden bat would break if submitted to the amount of stress we would put on it. If we were to really play baseball, we'd need a sturdier material."

Emmett groaned and Jasper sighed. Both seemed to be genuinely upset about not being able to play.

"We just need to figure our how to make a sturdier bat," I assured them. "Rosalie, do you think you could?"

Rosalie was looking down at her folded hands. "I have heard, in one of my engineering classes, that an inventor somewhere created a bat of aluminum. But his was pieces. We'd need one of one piece, so that it didn't stress at the seams. I think it might be possible. I could tell you for sure, after I get a chance to try."

"That's my girl!" Emmett cheered, giving Rosalie a kiss. It was a bit excessive for the context and company, but Emmett and Rosalie had always flaunted their relationship. Neither seemed uncomfortable with public displays of affection. I saw Edward roll his eyes at them and then climb the stairs at vampire speed. Not two seconds later, he found the changes Alice had made to his room.

"Where's all my stuff?!" he yelled down the stairs, though we would have heard him just as well if he'd whispered.

"Oh uh, in the garage honey," Esme told him.

"Why?" Edward growled from the base of the stairs.

"Your room had the best view!" Alice replied cheerfully.

Edward snarled and marched out to the garage in a huff.


	17. Chapter 17: Baseball

**To clear something up, it's been brought to my attention that in the earlier chapter about Esme, it sounds like I was saying Carlisle treated Esme's broken leg in 1905. To clear things up, I wrote that he moved to Columbus in 1905. In fact, he treated her in 1911 and then moved one month later to Chicago. Just wanted to clear that up.**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 17: Baseball_

Rosalie brought home a brand-new, shiny aluminum bat a few days later.

"It should stand up even to Emmett," she said, as Emmett practiced a swing. Esme flinched as the bat whistled by a lamp, only inches away. "And I even got us a ball." Rosalie held up a white baseball with red stitching, fresh out of the packaging. Jasper took that from her, as excited as Emmett. Alice was right behind him, smiling as she normally did. Alice didn't seem to have another expression.

"And we're in luck because the next storm is this Friday! We can go after school!"

Alice and Jasper had enrolled in high school with the other kids. Alice pretended to be younger, in Edward's junior year, while Jasper enrolled with Rosalie and Emmett as a senior.

"You can predict the weather too?" Emmett asked.

Alice giggled. "The weather is easy. It doesn't change its mind at a moment's notice. Living beings are harder."

Emmett scowled, but he couldn't stay annoyed long. Vampires, Emmett especially, are easily distracted.

That weekend, as soon as the kids got out of school, the thunder clouds rolled in. Miles high and a deep, dark grey shade, these clouds promised a good storm before they even reached the Pocono area. Lightning flashed through the clouds as we set up the field. A normal baseball field wouldn't do. If we were going to play for real, we would need a larger diamond. I paced out an area about three times as big as a normal baseball field, marking the bases with a mound of dirt. The pitcher's mound would be in the center, as usual, and a catcher would crouch a little ways back from home plate. Any throw that wasn't hit would be a strike.

We split up into teams. Esme opted not to play, preferring to watch and perhaps even umpire, then play. I joined Edward and Jasper on one team, facing Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. We were in the field first. Edward was playing outfield, covering the entire section by himself. Jasper was playing in field and I was pitching. I threw a couple practice pitches to Jasper as we waited for the storm to close in. We could hear the thunder in the distance, but the humans may not be able to.

"Play ball!" Alice called from her position at catcher, behind home plate. Emmett was up first. Esme stood behind Alice, crouched over her like a real umpire.

Emmett stepped up, a smirk playing across his face. "All right old man, let's see what you've got."

I had something alright. I whipped out a fastball that to a human, would've been impossible to see. Emmett brought the bat around not even half a second too late and the ball clapped into Edward's waiting hands.

"How's that?" I retorted. "Too fast for you?" Emmett growled in his throat and I couldn't help a laugh. Emmett missed the next pitch too, but he managed to smash the third. The ball and Rosalie's bat collided with a thunderous BANG! It was immediately obvious why we had waited for the thunderstorm to play. I followed the ball's progress through the trees. It landed a split second before Edward grabbed it and shot it to Jasper, who waited at second. Jasper caught the ball, just after she and Emmett collided with the sound of two boulders ramming each other. I was once again thankful to Alice for making us wait until a thunderstorm.

"Safe," Esme called. Alice and Rosalie cheered from where they waited at home. Jasper grimaced as he threw the ball, growling at Emmett.

Rosalie was up next, batting right-handed. She hit the ball on the first pitch, but Jasper leapt up and snatched it out of the air, and Esme called her out. Then she and Alice switched places and Alice took her turn at bat, hitting a ground ball towards Jasper that sent Emmett home, but got herself out at second.

We changed fields and the game continued. Jasper was up first, batting left-handed. He played smart baseball and got himself on second. Then it was my turn. Alice was pitching for the other team. She'd already surprised Jasper once with her subtle pitching. She was like a snake, snapping out, suddenly and with lightning speed. She did the same for me, throwing a curve ball that I missed. Emmett guffawed from the infield. I took my stance again, ignoring him, and managed to hit a long ball that got through Rosalie's out-fielding. I brought Jasper home and got to third before the ball returned to Alice. That shut Emmett up.

We scored two more runs before changing fields again. The game stayed close, Emmett's team scoring some, and my team scoring some. Emmett kept up an almost constant stream of heckling that was answered by Edward and Jasper. I occasionally threw in an insult, but every time I did, Esme gave me a stern look, bringing me back in line. We played the regular nine innings. The game looked like it might go into overtime by the bottom of the ninth inning. We were down by two, but that would be made up easily. Jasper was on third, Edward was on second, and I was up to bat. I'd already gotten out once during the inning. This time I had to keep the ball low so as not to let Rosalie or Emmett catch it and get me out. We needed just one good hit to bring Jasper and Edward home and the game would be tied. Then it wouldn't matter if we got three outs, the game would go into overtime.

"Come on grandpa, let's see what you got!" Emmett shouted from his position between second and third. His jeering had a kernel of truth. I was old enough to be someone's many times great grandfather. I wasn't, because I had been changed before being married, but I was definitely not lacking in years.

I took my stance at the plate and waited for the briefest bit of motion that was Alice's pitch. There! I swung the bat around with all my strength, and missed. The ball slapped into Esme's hands behind me.

"Strike one," she murmured, throwing the ball back to Alice. Again I waited for Alice's pitch. There! I was just a fraction of a second earlier then last time, but it was enough. Rosalie's aluminum bat connected with the ball with a thunderous clap and the ball went sailing. Immediately I swore under my breath as I saw the ball was going high. It could be caught. But Rosalie had to find it first! The ball sailed high over the field and out of the clearing, into the trees. I took off at full speed towards first as Jasper and Edward sprinted home. All three of us heard the slight "thunk", and then soft "thump" as the ball hit the ground. Rosalie hadn't caught it. I was safe for now. Jasper ran home and scored and Edward was only a second behind him. I rounded second as I heard Rosalie racing back towards the field. She'd found the ball. Alice was following me as I ran around the diamond, ready to tag me out when her teammate returned with the ball.

I rounded third and put on a burst of speed as I saw Rosalie emerge from the trees. Emmett was waiting at home plate, calling for the ball. Rosalie threw and I dived towards home, arms outstretched to tag the base. Emmett and I collided with the loudest crash of the entire game.

"SAFE!" Esme declared. Emmett protested as Edward and Jasper helped me up. Unfortunately, the slide had just about destroyed my shirt, even the white undershirt I wore. The speed at which I was going caused the fabric to shred, revealing the skin of my chest.

"Next time wear a shirt I don't mind you destroying," Esme whispered in my ear, just loud enough for the two of us to hear. Emmett and Jasper were arguing the last call. Alice, Rosalie, and Edward stood to the side, clearly amused, but ready to jump in.

"You cheated!" Emmett thundered.

"It was a fair game! It's not our fault you got beat by an 'old man'," Jasper snarled. Alice giggled. Emmett growled and pounced, tackling Jasper. The two rolled head over heels, snarling like two animals. I leapt on top of them, trying to pull the two apart. Edward helped, pulling Jasper away. I put myself between Emmett and Jasper, a hand on both of them.

"If these are going to end in a fight we aren't going to play anymore," I threatened.

Emmett growled low in his throat as Jasper hissed, but neither of them moved. Alice and Rosalie led their men away in their own attempts to diffuse the argument. We returned to the house, the tension still present, but after a few hours, all was forgiven. Rosalie's bat had stood up to our pounding and the game had been a success. Already Jasper, Emmett, and Alice were making plans for another game.

**Sorry it's taking me so long to update! I'm just really busy with schoolwork. It totally saps my creativity! Ugh! Anyway, I'm going to try and update every week from now on until I'm either done, or school is! Stick with me and review!**

**-Wish**


	18. Chapter 18: Conflict

_Chapter 18: Conflict_

Sometimes I wish I could sleep, if just so I could dream. In dreams is when we work out our issues. But without sleep, I can't dream and therefore, my problems and the problems that face my family are left to be mulled over in my head, bouncing off other ideas and generally creating turmoil.

As the primary creator of the Cullen family, as well as the oldest member, I took on a patriarchal role. I looked out for the family, put the safety and privacy of the family above my own desires, and always was available, should any one seek my guidance or support. With such a large family, problems arose frequently.

The foremost was always the constant battle against our thirst. After almost three centuries of controlling my thirst, I was very good at the "vegetarian" lifestyle. My body still reacted. The thirst still burned in my throat and venom still pooled in my mouth when I was faced with blood, but I could control it with ease now. My family, unfortunately, wasn't so adept.

Between 1950, when Alice and Jasper joined us, through the end of the millennium, we were moving a lot. When Emmett became over enthusiastic and slipped, or when Jasper, who tried so hard as it was, reverted to his old lifestyle, we were constantly on guard. If someone slipped more then once, or multiple people did, we waited for the heat to die down a little, and then moved on. The result was an erratic lifestyle. Sometimes Rosalie and Emmett would live with us; sometimes they would prefer to be alone. Jasper and Alice were the same way sometimes, but not as often as the other couple.

Esme, after losing her child (that was why she tried to commit suicide), had found her place as an adoptive mother. She kept the teenagers in line, on the occasions when they got out of hand. Like I was the father figure, she was the maternal counterpart.

Regular baseball games helped us enjoy time as a family. After the first game, Esme declared herself the official umpire, letting me join the kids to play. Everyone looked forward to the games and after 1970; we no longer had to rely on Rosalie to make us a new bat.

By abstaining from human blood, we were able to form real bonds of love and family, rather then just truces out of convenience like every other coven we came across. The love Esme and I, Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper shared was a true love. While Esme and I did not enjoy an ideal love life, we made the best of the time we did have together. That was how we came to talking about Edward, one cold winter in February of 1982.

The teenagers were out on a hunting trip, a sort of anniversary gift to us. It was our 60th wedding anniversary, which would have been a big deal had we been humans, than it was as we were immortals. The teenagers had still insisted on giving us the weekend to be alone and then Alice was planning a party that Monday night, which was the real date of our anniversary.

Esme and I walked at a leisurely pace through the snow-dusted forest. We were in the back country of Montana, outside Helena. It was a good location for our family with plenty of wildlife. We walked in silence, hand in hand, just enjoying each other's company. The forest was completely silent as all the animals had the good sense to hide when they caught our sweet scents.

I could tell something was bothering Esme as we made our slow progress through the white-blanketed trees. It was not her body language or expression that gave her away, but the deep look in her eyes that I had learned to read like the words in a book.

"What's troubling you?" I asked.

Esme sighed. "I'm just thinking," she replied, looking down at the forest floor.

"About what?" I inquired politely. I had learned very quickly that patience was the key, not just to conversation, but everything. People did things on their own time.

Esme was silent for a while. "Edward," she admitted.

I knew Edward was often a subject of worry for Esme. Of all her adoptive children, he was often the most withdrawn, but also the most thoughtful. Reading others' minds made him more attuned to what others felt, rather then was he felt.

I waited in silence for Esme to elucidate. She always did. "Edward just is always by himself. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper all have their companions, as I have mine." She smiled up at me and I could help but grin. Her beauty still struck me, even sixty years later.

"But Edward, he's always alone, and he's never really shown interest in girls, anywhere we've been. I'm worried Carlisle. What if he was too young? What if you changed him when he wasn't ready? I just can't bear to see him so…lonely." She trailed off, her gaze falling once more to the ground.

But I raised her face, turning her chin so that she was once more looking at me. "We have…all been very…lucky to have found…our soul mates…as we have," I told her between kisses. "Except maybe Alice and Jasper. Their meeting was going to happen, no matter what." Esme laughed her musical laugh, the laugh I always longed to hear.

"Edward will find his companion in his own time," I reassured my angel.

"You're right," Esme replied. "And when it happens, I will welcome the lucky girl with open arms, no matter who she is or what she looks like!"

I leaned down to kiss my angel like I hadn't done out of courtesy for a long time, not that Emmett and Rosalie extended that courtesy to any of us. And with neither of us needing air, it went on for a good ten minutes before we finally started back to the house, walking a little faster now.

We got back to find the house not as empty as we'd hoped. The teenagers were back, and a flurry of activity.

"Carlisle," Edward called me as soon as Esme and I were within hearing range of the house. We ran inside to find Edward pacing, Alice sitting motionless as she tried vision after vision, Jasper arguing with Emmett in hissing whispers, and Rosalie staring out the dining room window, as still as Alice.

"What's going on?" I asked. "You're back early."

"Alice had a vision," Edward explained. "The coven of four in Helena is combining with another coven of three to try to get rid of us. They see us as a threat."

"A threat?" Esme gasped. "Why? We don't drink human blood?"

"They're worried about our numbers," Edward explained. "We're quite large and with us three," he gestured to Alice, Jasper, and his self, "they want to get us out of the way, before we grow anymore."

I cringed away from the idea. I hated violence and killing other people, even in self-defense.

"Can't we handle this some other way?" I asked.

Edward shook his head. "I doubt it, but if I could get close enough, I could be sure." Edward fell thoughtfully silent. "Alice's vision was so concrete though. So set. I don't think they'll listen to any diplomacy. Not like that group in Indiana. Perhaps Alice could tell for sure?"

All eyes fell on the shortest member of our family where she sat like a statue. Alice didn't move a muscle for a moment, her eyes not looking at the same world that we saw.

"Alice?" I asked tentatively, praying that there would be some other way to end this conflict. "Do you really think we'll have to fight?"

Alice was still motionless and I honestly wasn't sure if she'd heard my question.

"Yes," she replied. Her one word rang through the room, ominous. But Alice ignored our lack of reply. "Every possibility I can see results in a fight. Jasper's ability doesn't work on one of their people. No matter what we do, they will fight. They are set in that much."

"What are we waiting for then?!" Emmett asked, much too enthusiastic. "Let's crush those guys! They don't know that we know about their plan right? They'll think we're unprepared."

"We are unprepared," Jasper said dryly. All set of butterscotch eyes turned on my newest, but oldest and most experienced, son. "Woefully unprepared," Jasper emphasized.

"How can you say that?!" Rosalie demanded. "You don't really know us! You haven't been here that long!"

"Rosalie," I scolded. She glared at me for a moment. I returned my normal, caring look and her expression softened a bit.

"I know what you feel," Jasper said. This wasn't news to us. We all knew Jasper was gifted. "You feel enthusiastic, confident. But that can't replace skill otherwise I'd be dead long ago." He met each of our eyes in turn. It was almost unsettling to have your own gaze turned back on you.

"What do you suggest?" I asked. I was resigned to the fact that we couldn't avoid this disagreement. The others were too enthusiastic about it and both Alice and Edward assured me the other covens' minds were set.

"I can teach you some tricks. We can work with the fact that we have strong ties, stronger then they'll have anyway. And Edward's and Alice's gifts will give us an edge. I think we can win but we have to be careful and smart. "

So Jasper led us away from the house to a clearing in the woods, smaller then the one we'd used for baseball only the week before. He taught us techniques for offense and defense. He taught us how to use each other to succeed. Last of all, he told us how to eliminate a vampire, thoroughly.

"As you all know, we're practically indestructible. But that doesn't mean we can't be killed. To kill one of us, we have to dismember all parts, and then every piece has to be burned. Just because it's not attached to a body, doesn't mean it can't cause trouble." Suddenly Jasper, as an example, pulled his own hand off with a grunt. It made a horrible, high-pitched keeling noise, like nails on a chalk board. The hand was severed at the wrist, right at the joint. Every reaction in me yelled to reattach it. The surgeon in me knew a person would lose the hand if it wasn't reattached quickly and properly. Rosalie and Emmett lurched forward, like I did, as if to help. Esme yelped and buried her face in my shoulder. But Edward and Alice looked unconcerned. They'd flinched when Jasper had done it, but they didn't seem to think Jasper needed immediate medical attention. Or rather, they knew Jasper didn't need immediate medical attention, Edward by Jasper's thoughts, Alice by her visions of Jasper's future.

"See?" Jasper said. He held up the dismembered hand with the still attached one and it waved. There was a moment of silent shock, and then Emmett exploded into laughter. We all looked at him, and then Jasper, like they'd just told us pigs could fly and the sky was bright green.

Jasper placed his wrist back together and within half a minute, it was reattached, the vampire venom knitting it together better then stitches could have. I let out an involuntary sigh of relief and Esme took her face from my shoulder cautiously. I wrapped my arm around her, holding her close to me as she calmed down.

"I think that's all for now Jasper," I suggested. "Thank you." He nodded curtly. I'm sure he wanted to say more, but after his demonstration, I don't think it would've been a good idea. As it was, on the way home Emmett chattered with Jasper, talking about techniques for beheading. I tuned out their gruesome talk as I ran with Esme. I did not like the idea of fighting one bit, and I definitely didn't want my angel fighting. I couldn't even imagine her, dismembering a vampire, even a hostile one. And what if something happened to her? The people we would be fighting would be fighting back. And even though we had Edward and Alice and Jasper, there was the distinct possibility someone could get hurt, or even lost. I didn't want to think about it, but I knew it could happen.

**Tell me what you think! It's not strictly Stephanie Meyer's idea, I know. Review and tell me your thoughts!**

**-Wish**


	19. Chapter 19: Battle

_Chapter 19: Battle_

Jasper held two more sessions before he deemed us good enough to hold our own. During the last one, we practiced one-on-one fighting. It was always very fast, even by our standards; a whirlwind of motion that only ended when someone made a mistake. Alice was extraordinarily fast, seeing her opponent's moves in the future and reacting before they happened. The longest skirmish was between Edward and Alice, lasting half and hour before Jasper finally called a draw. By the end of Jasper's lessons, even Esme and I were apt fighters.

With Alice's help, we pinned down the location and time of the fight. We decided to go on a "hunting trip" so that the battle would be far away from the humans. This was in the interest of not only secrecy, but innocent lives. Nobody wanted to involve my old acquaintances, the Volturi.

We hunted together, on guard as we came closer to the place Alice said the fight would happen. It was hard to sneak up on a vampire, but another vampire could, if they really tried. Edward and Alice seemed more withdrawn then the rest of us as they turned to their gifts for advanced warning.

We arrived at the lake side where the battle was supposed to take place. It was quiet, any animals hiding away at our presence. The water in the lake was still. Not even a ripple from a fish fin broke the surface.

We paused, looking out over the lake, not sure what to do. Should we wait for them to come? Should we go, and risk changing the fight? Electricity was rampant, combining with the tension that was already building. They looked to Jasper and I to make the decision. Luckily, or unluckily, we didn't have to.

Edward and Alice turned simultaneously towards the east, crouching low and hissing. "They're here," Edward growled, low enough that we could barely hear him. My family tensed, closing into a tight semicircle, aimed where Alice and Edward were looking. Edward and Jasper were at point with Emmett and Alice right behind them.

Out of the trees came first the three, crouched and ready to spring. More south was the coven of four. They converged on our family, murderous looks in their red eyes.

"You're not welcome here," snarled a blonde-haired man in the lead of the group of four coven.

"Let us leave peacefully and we will never bother you again," I replied. I felt Jasper's calm wash over the lake shore. The other coven seemed to relax, but I knew it was artificial. One of the females in their group hissed angrily, as Alice had predicted. Obviously she recognized Jasper's skill and was able to fight it.

The blonde vampire looked back at the still angry female. He seemed calm, but her reaction reminded him why they were at the lake in the first place. "What are you doing?" he asked. The demand sounded odd in the calm, level voice he used.

"We merely would not want you to make a mistake because you let your emotions get in the way," Jasper replied.

"Stop," the female ordered. "Stop now!"

Jasper looked at me. We were really stuck. Jasper couldn't stay in proximity with them forever. I nodded for him to let go.

Immediately the other seven vampires crouched forward again as the artificial calm was lifted. There wasn't any time to reason further as they sprang.

My family collided with the allied covens with a great crash. The numbers were even. The blonde leader fell on me, obviously targeting me. He was very fast as we dodged and attacked. His offense was ferocious where I was still reluctant. I dodged as much as I could, but I still caught hits in the stomach and face. After getting hit the second time, I launched a counter offense that drove my opponent back on his heels. We broke apart with a shove, both of us glancing around. A detached section lay nearby, but neither of us could tell who it belonged to. The others were similarly engaged. I caught a glimpse of Emmett as he threw a body into the lake and then thundered in after it. The water splashed up in huge columns and the level in the lake receded. Alice was nearby, clinging to a large, dark-skinned vampire's back. She bit into his shoulder, tearing the arm of at the joint.

Something hard slammed into me from the side, knocking me back about twenty yards and slamming me to the ground. The blonde vampire grappled for hold on my neck. That's what I got for letting myself get distracted. His grip was hard and uncomfortable, but completely futile. The vampire didn't use his brain; otherwise he would've known to forget choking. Vampires don't need to breathe. I grabbed at his wrist, attempting to break his grip. With my other hand, I slammed the heel of my palm into his nose.

The vampire's head jerked back, causing him to loosen his grip long enough for me to break away. We were back on our feet quickly. He lunged, I side-stepped at the last second, grabbing his arm and wrenching it out and back, two directions it wasn't supposed to go. With the high-pitched keeling, like cutting a rock, the arm disconnected and the blonde vampire was thrown off balance. He growled and hissed in pain and anger as he turned quickly and fell on me. I was caught holding the arm and unprepared. He head butt me, leaving me dazed for a short moment in which he bit into my shoulder.

A feral snarl burst through my mother as I threw him off me. The bite burned as his venom conflicted with my own. A half moon shape, much like those that covered Jasper, was raw on my shoulder, but not bleeding of course. My shirt probably took more damage than I did, losing the part he vampire had bitten through.

I leapt at him across the fifty yard distance. Out of balance with only one arm, he couldn't avoid me. I tackled him, aiming for his neck to finish this. He struggled, but I bit into his neck on the side with no defense and made a quick jerking motion. Half of his neck came off and it was easy to take off the rest. After he was decapitated, his body still flailed, but I dismembered it, quickly and efficiently, not letting my thoughts wander. If I'd thought of him as a sentient being at the time, I probably would've tried to put him back together again.

The others had already finished off their opponents and were starting to burn the pieces. Jasper had a new bite on his arm, but everyone else was uninjured. Emmett and Jasper watched the burning pyre carefully as I added the pieces of my opponent to the group.

"Was that all?" Jasper asked. I nodded solemnly. The impact of our fight was sinking in, not just to me, but to Esme, Rosalie, Alice, Edward, even Emmett. Jasper was the only one who seemed cool and collected. Military. He was all business right now.

I walked over to Esme where she stood away from the fire, a hand clasped over her face against the sickly sweet smell rising from the burning pile. She was upset. Everything about her expression, posture, everything, told me how great the impact of the fight had been on her. I held her tight to me, resting my cheek on her hair, breathing in her sweet cinnamon brown sugar scent. I was almost able to mask the stench off the fire.

She leaned into my chest, her eyes travelling upwards until they fell on the bite on my shoulder.

"Are you hurt?" she worried.

"No," I replied truthfully. It didn't even burn anymore. All that was left was a small, half-moon scar. I tried to make my voice as light as I could manage in such a grave time. "I don't even feel it anymore. He just caught me by surprise."

Esme ran her fingers gently over my exposed shoulder where the fabric of my shirt had been torn away. I felt relieved. My family was safe. My angel was safe. And I knew I would protect her from anything that dared threaten such perfection.

**And that, boys and girls, was why the Cullens are such bad-ass vampire fighters! I hope you liked it! **

**Only two more chapters before we get into the events of Twilight, but they may take some time because they're a bit more intricate. Don't forget to review me! I think it would be really cool if I could have 100 by the time I got to the events of Twilight! Real reviews though, not just fluff. Thanks a bunch!**

**-Wish**


	20. Chapter 20: The Others

_Chapter 20: The Others_

We stayed outside Helena until 1987. By then it was once more time to move on. I had been hearing odd rumors for a while by then. Rumors of a coven in Alaska, with gold eyes. There were four females and a male. Irina, Katie, and Tanya were sisters. Carmen and her mate, Eleazer, had joined in the 1700s. They kept a more or less permanent residence outside Denali, Alaska. Since coming to America, I'd never actually met anyone who was even willing to consider taking up my family's lifestyle. But this coven had developed "a conscience" on their own. I was intensely curious to meet this Denali coven.

When our time in Montana drew to a close, we packed up and drove north. By 1987, the cars were actually fast enough to merit driving more then running. Although we never got tired, we could definitely carry a lot more if we took a car.

So Edward, Esme, and I drove in my Mercedes 560SEC and Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper drove the Land Rover One Ten, heading north. We drove at extreme speeds. Our vampire reflexes and Edward's gift allowed us to do so without risk of crashing or being pulled over. Even if we had crashed, the cars would've taken more damage then us! The drive still took almost two days. We arrived in town during the night as the stars sparkled overhead.

It was bitterly cold (not that it bothered us) and overcast, which was really good. We could go outside more often and our cold skin wouldn't seem so out of place. We moved into a house on the edge of town. It was smaller then some of our past residences, but each couple got their own room and Edward got a downstairs room with a set of double doors for privacy and curtains for the two small, ground-floor windows.

We stayed home for the first three days, setting up the charade. We unpacked our props (like a toaster oven) and formed our background story. Rosalie and Jasper would once more play brother and sister, my niece and nephew. They'd be living with us as their parents were away on an expedition to the South American rainforest. Jasper would be younger this time around. If necessary, we could "kill" their parents. Edward, Alice, and Emmett would be adopted children of course. We didn't think it would matter if they knew we moved from Montana.

Once the story was ready, Edward and the others went down to the local high school. Edward, Alice, and Jasper enrolled as freshmen, while Emmett and Rosalie enrolled as sophomores. For Emmett, pretending to be in tenth grade was a stretch, but the younger they started, the longer we would be able to stay. And Emmett didn't want to be a year ahead of Rosalie.

I had applied for a job at the hospital before we'd left Helena. With my credentials, they had been more then happy to take me on right away, even thought the pay wasn't nearly as much as it should have been. Money wasn't an object though. We had plenty of it in banks around the world, collecting interest.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how to find the Denali coven. If they kept a permanent residence, then they had to keep low human contact. That meant there probably wasn't much chance of meeting them on the street in town. Esme suggested waiting. They probably already knew we were in Denali. They might even be interested in meeting us too. In the end, Alice settled our plans with a vision of us meeting the coven in the national park.

We waited the week and then went on a "hiking" trip for the weekend. The park was popular with hikers. We wouldn't stand out. My family and I walked at a normal human pace, keeping to the trails. Alice and Edward led the way. We didn't pause at all, even when Alice had her visions. The speed we were walking at was so slow, we all probably could've walked with our eyes closed and still had stayed on the trail without tripping. She finally called us to a halt at a small creek that ran through the mountainous trail. It probably flowed down to a lake from the mountain's snowy peak. Stepping stones had been placed as a make-shift bridge by the park rangers, who maintained the trail.

"We need to leave the trail," she said. "They won't come near the human trails when they hunt. I don't really blame them."

Emmett charged into the trees, not bothering to be careful of the foliage. Alice sighed and flitted after him, gently steering him towards the creek. The soil was already worn there. He'd make less mess. The rest of us followed more carefully. Jasper and I attempted to repair the damage as much as we could. Jasper's technique was sometimes to create more damage to make it look like an animal had done it. We removed all trace of human footprints until we were deep enough into the woods to not worry about it. Here the tall trees were thick and no humans ventured in them. It was far from any human trail. So far we couldn't even smell the ever tempting human scent. Alice took the lead here as Emmett slowed with uncertainty. She and Edward were really the only ones who'd seen the Denali coven. They knew where we could intercept them.

As we travelled, we sometimes hunted. Jasper wanted all of us strong, in case something went wrong and they weren't as friendly as Alice and Edward saw. Alice's visions were right a lot of the time, but not all of the time. We had just come across a heard of some sort of herbivore when we first knew we had company. The wind changed and blew in new scents that were enough to make me defensive and forget my prey. My family went rigid too. The scent was too good smelling to be animals, and too sweet to be a human. Automatically, I looked to Edward where he held one of these unknown animals in his iron grip. Edward's head was turned to the northeast, scanning the line of trees. Obviously he heard something.

"They're here," he intoned in a low voice that only reached our ears. "There are three of them. They have been tracking us through the park. They were surprised when we began feeding on animals. They didn't know anyone else did that."

He went silent again, listening carefully. Nobody dared to even breathe. Edward had always been our "sentry" or sorts, warning us when people began to wonder, or if one of our kind was hostile, even if a human made a lucky, yet very accurate guess about us. We'd come to rely on Edward to help us avoid danger and exposure.

"They're coming towards us," Edward confirmed. "They're going to try to talk to us. They don't want violence, but they're ready for it. I think it's Carmen, Eleazer, and Tanya. Kate and Irina are elsewhere, but they aren't thinking of where."

We heard the first sound of passage as Edward trailed off. We heard soft rustling in the trees a few miles away and it was getting closer. It wasn't an animal for sure. Animals flee from us. And it was moving too fast to be a human, not to mention there wasn't even a trace of human scent around us. My family converged at once, preparing to meet the newcomers. Edward had said they had no thoughts of violence, but Jasper didn't want to take any chances. He took a place on Alice's right, at point. To Alice's left was Edward, and to his left was me. Esme stood on my other side, an arm wrapped around my waist. On her other side was Rosalie, and then Emmett stood at the other point. Edward was still listening intently.

When the group came through the last row of trees ahead of us, they paused. We really were a large coven. Most vampires can't stand to live with more then three others of their kind. Here we had seven of us, obviously all unified. And Jasper's appearance brought everyone up short. It was just an instinct.

Edward had said the three were Carmen, Eleazer, and Tanya, one of the tree original sisters. I could pick out Tanya. She was obviously the odd-one-out, with the couple on her right. She was quite beautiful with strawberry-blonde hair. If there was ever a vampire to rival Rosalie in the beauty department, Tanya was her. Eleazer was the male who stood in the middle, holding the other female's hand (Carmen). He looked at us with a curious expression and I wondered what he saw. Did he see a threat, or the chance of an alliance? He and the other female, Carmen, had dark hair, and a darker-olive tone to their skin that was much more common among the vampires in the Mediterranean Europe then in America.

Eleazer spoke first. "We are curious," he said simply. "We haven't met anyone who drank animal blood before, outside of our coven that is. I'm Eleazer, this is Carmen and Tanya." He gestured first to his right, then to his left.

"I'm Carlisle," I answered. "This is Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, Edward, Alice, and Jasper." I gestured from left to right, down the line.

"You have a very large and gifted coven," Eleazer remarked. "I don't think I've come across anyone like Alice."

Jasper hissed and moved Alice so that she was partially concealed behind his back. I was curious as to what emotion from Eleazer had set him on edge, or if he was simply listening to Eleazer's words. Edward hadn't so much as flinched.

"It's alright Jazz," Alice soothed, using the nickname we'd given him. But she didn't move. Jasper wouldn't let her.

"I meant no harm to her," Eleazer replied, both palms outward in a sign of peace. "Like I said before, I'm simply curious."

"Eleazer can sense the nature of others' vampire gifts, and the 'latent ability' of humans," Edward murmured. "It's really alright Jazz." Jasper relaxed a bit, letting Alice go.

"That's right!" Eleazer said. "I know that Alice can see glimpses of the future, sometimes involuntarily. I know that Jasper can sense others' emotions, and even influence them. And I know Edward can read others' thoughts, much like Aro of the Volturi. Except Edward can hear without contact, and only the thoughts that are passing through the mind in the present."

The mention of Aro set me on edge. Since leaving the Volturi, it didn't take me long to realize most vampires didn't want to involve the "royal family" of the vampire world. It was odd to hear Eleazer speak of one of their kind with ease.

Edward had moved closer to me. "Eleazer was part of the Volturi guard for a while, but he met Carmen and left."

I saw Eleazer smile from where he and the two females, who had remained silent thus far, stood patiently. They were waiting for something, but what was it?

Then Edward hissed. "Kate and Irina are here. I don't know how they kept it from me for so long. Be careful."

Two more vampires (females), emerged from the trees. They stood by Tanya. One had long, straight blonde hair. That one was Kate, based on the description Alice had given me from her visions. The other also had blonde hair, a pale shade so light it almost looked white. That was Irina.

"Carlisle, this is Kate and Irina, Tanya's sisters," Eleazer said, unnecessarily. He introduced them as if there was nothing wrong with their sudden appearance. And nothing would be wrong, for him.

"Kate can cause pain, like that Jane girl in the Volturi," Edward said. I'd never met Jane before, she wasn't in the Volturi when I spent my time there, but from what I'd heard, her and her brother, Alec, were quite formidable. If Kate could do what Jane could, we might have a problem.

"She can only use it through her palms, like Aro and it's not nearly as strong, but it would still drop Emmett."

Edward's words drew Emmett's attention. "You mean she could really beat me?" He looked astonished. I'm not sure why, since both Jasper and Edward had been able to beat Emmett in the practice fights.

"A pleasure to meet you," I told them. Edward's, Emmett's, and my words had all been a quick succession of comments, too low to reach across the distance between my family and the Denali coven.

"Same to you Carlisle," Kate replied, inclining her head. Tension was still high between our two factions, but Alice seemed to find this behavior annoying. With a huff, she skipped across the distance to the Denali coven. Jasper was right behind her with Edward, and then the rest of us.

When I got close enough, I exchanged a handshake with Eleazer, then Carmen and Tanya. Irina and Kate were busy with Edward and Alice. Rosalie spoke with Tanya, Emmett holding her hand and being a silent giant. Jasper hovered over the group in general.

"You mentioned the Volturi earlier," I said to Eleazer. "Edward tells me you used to be a part of their guard."

"A long time ago," Eleazer admitted. "I can see others gifts, so it was mine and a few others' job to search out prospective recruits that might add to the Volturi's ranks. I left when I met Carmen." He rested an arm around his mate's waist, drawing her in closer.

Carmen smiled up at him. "We came here and eventually found Tanya and her sisters. Their mother had been destroyed by the Volturi for creating an immortal child."

If Tanya or her sisters heard Carmen's words, they did not acknowledge them.

"I spent time with the Volturi in my first century, before the 1800s. About forty years. I have not been back since I left though."

"Did you make the choice to feed on animals before or after you visit there?" Eleazer inquired. "I always wondered what they would say to my current lifestyle."

"Before. I have never feed from humans. I only tasted human blood when changing Esme, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett. When I was there, Aro was constantly trying to convince me my choice was a mistake."

"That sounds like Aro," Eleazer replied.

"And that would also explain why you have such a large coven," Carmen commented. "Other then the Volturi, I've never seen a coven of your size that works so well together. The southern armies fought amongst themselves. They couldn't interact as well as you do."

"Yes. Jasper spent time as part of one of those newborn armies. That's how he was turned. If not for his gift, he would not have succeeded as he did in the south," I added.

"Jasper's skill is very useful among us vampires," Eleazer said with a laugh. "We don't play well with others do we?"

We ran with the Denali coven back to their home, a large cabin that didn't even have an address, let alone a real driveway. My suspicions about the coven had been correct. They didn't interact with the humans in town much at all.

I talked to Eleazer a bit more, before moving on to Kate and Tanya. Carmen and Eleazer had told me Tanya and her sisters had already adopted their "vegetarian" diet when they'd joined the coven. I was interested why. Eleazer and Carmen wouldn't give me a straight answer. They just hinted that the sisters were "lonely".

Tanya and Kate explained Eleazer's comment, abet a bit awkwardly. They told me that since none of them could find love among their own kind, they turned to human men for "company". My mind reeled with thoughts of the amount of control the sisters would have to have to live that sort of lifestyle…they were probably more in control then even I was!

"That's amazing!" I told them. "I work as a surgeon sometimes, but even I'm not sure if I have that level of control! Luckily I have Esme."

Esme smiled briefly at me from across the room. She'd heard my comment.

"Your coven if very lucky," Tanya commented. "Rosalie told me her and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and you and Esme are all happily married."

I nodded. "It has been 65 years this winter and I still love her as much as I did on the first day. Perhaps even more so now!"

"But Edward has not been so lucky," Tanya said.

"No," I replied. "Edward is waiting for someone." I thought back to the countless conversations Esme and I had had about Edward, my vampire mind playing them back to me perfectly. There had been a lot of them.

Tanya's eyes sparkled as she looked over at my oldest and youngest son where he talked to Eleazer. "Aren't we all," she agreed.

**Yay Denali!!! There is one more chapter before we get into more familiar faces so stay tuned. Gosh I sound like a TV special! But seriously. Keep with me and tell all your friends so that they can read this too! Like I said before, I'd like to hit 100 reviews before I get into the events of Twilight!**

**Thanks to all those who've already reviewed and do so on a regular basis!**

**-Wish**


	21. Chapter 21: Decisions

_Chapter 21: Decisions_

We stayed with the Denali coven after our time was up living in town. Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen, and Eleazer became like an extended family. Cousins of sorts. It was wonderful to have others to hunt with. Emmett and Kate frequently debated over which was the better bear to prey on, grizzly or polar. We taught them baseball and our games took on a new level of competitiveness with larger teams.

Tanya quickly made her feelings known to Edward after finding that Edward didn't have a mate. And in Edward's favor, he kept no pretense with her, honestly telling her he wasn't interested. Esme was disappointed for a time, until one day in 1996.

Alice and Jasper came to Esme and me, one sunny day in the Alaskan summer. It didn't feel much like summer, even though it was mid-July. The weather in Alaska seemed to be only cool, cold, or bitter.

We were staying out of sight during one of the flukes when the sun shown through the cloudy layer.

"Esme, Carlisle, do you mind going hunting with us?" Alice asked. They wanted to talk. Edward and the other kids had just gone hunting three days before. This was just a pretense.

Esme must've reached the same conclusion because she agreed quickly and quietly. "Of course."

We left the house after telling Kate and Carmen where we were going. Alice and Jasper led us far away from the house, towards the clearing we normally played our baseball games in. But before arriving there, they turned northwest, angling away, towards town. I wondered if they were intending to take us there. Then I worried. It was 1996, only nine years since we'd moved to Denali, and five years since we'd left town. People would recognize us if we weren't wearing some sort of disguise.

"Alice," I cautioned.

"We're not going into town Carlisle," Jasper replied. "Just closer so none of them will run into us accidentally."

I didn't know why Alice and Jasper would want to keep a secret from the others. I didn't even know how they could keep a secret, from Edward at least, for any length of time.

Finally we stopped outside the town. I could smell humans only ten miles up wind from us. None of the others would come this close to town. Especially not when they hunt. That would be dangerous.

"What's this all about now?" Esme asked gently.

"Alice had been having visions," Jasper said. "Recurring visions, like she had of our family before we joined you."

Alice nodded. "They're still fuzzy," she admitted, "But they get clearer every time. Decisions are falling into place."

"What are these visions about?" I asked. Alice's visions were always interesting in how they showed many paths.

"Edward," Alice answered. I suddenly understood why they wanted to speak to us first. "And a human girl. It's still very indistinct. Some major decisions have yet to be made. But there are three main visions. There first is Edward and the girl, sitting in a meadow, just smiling at each other. That's the most distinct. Then there's one of Edward and the girl, in the same meadow. Except here, she is in his hands and he is drinking her blood."

Esme gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. "No! Surely not! Not Edward!"

"That one is extremely indistinct. It's not likely right now. The third is probably the fuzziest of all. I think it's because we all have to make a decisions too. It's Edward and the girl, once more in the meadow. Except this time, she isn't human, but immortal."

Esme smiled. I could tell what she was thinking. She was wishing for this third vision to come true. Esme desperately wanted Edward to find a soul mate like the rest of us had.

"I didn't know if I should let Edward see," Alice admitted. "Jasper had been keeping me err—distracted thus far. Edward doesn't know. Should I tell him?"

Alice's was a good question. Would telling Edward make any of the visions clearer? Would they vanish altogether?

"I don't think we need to concern ourselves with these visions as of yet," I told her. "You said there are still many major decisions to be made?"

"Right," Alice replied. "At least three."

"Then I think it would be best to just put this out of our minds. Tell me if these visions become dramatically more substantial."

Alice nodded. "Alright."

We hunted on our way back, putting Alice's visions away in our vast memories to be lost among other thoughts. Edward didn't need to know about them. They were still far off by the sound of Alice's uncertainty. There were other matters to handle. Emmett was asking for a new car. He wanted a Jeep. Something he and Rosalie could modify so that it went three times faster and needed 6-point harnesses to keep the passengers in their seats. I held off for a year before finally letting Emmett get his Jeep.

And then the progression of cars began. Rosalie got an M3 Convertible, red and completely impractical for a vampire who couldn't be out in sunlight. But it was a great car to drive down an open road, completely ignoring all posted speed limits.

Then Edward got his silver Volvo. It was just like Edward, practical and fast. His car was probably the most used, since it attracted the least amount of attention. Now that I think about it, each member's car seemed to be just like them. Emmett's Jeep was all muscle and power; Rosalie's convertible was flashy and ostentatious; and Edward's Volvo was deceptively fast. They all fit their owners.

By the time Edward got his silver Volvo, we were getting ready to move again. It was 2003, three years into the new millennium. We'd stayed with the Denali coven for sixteen years, the longest I'd remained in one place since staying with the Volturi, and the longest any of them had remained since joining the family. Tanya, Kate, Eleazer, all of them, said we could stay as long as we wanted. We were an extended family now.

But we wanted to get back into the human society. When I suggested the next move, I suggested a west coast town, close enough to visit Denali. The Olympic Peninsula again. North of Hoquiam, where we'd stayed 67 years ago, was a small town called Forks. It was green and overcast most of the year. Perfect for vampires. And we could keep in touch with the Denali coven as relatives.

Edward and the others who'd lived in Hoquiam were reluctant to move back to the Quileute area. The wolf pack had made it very clear we weren't liked.

"But that was 67 years ago," I pointed out. "I'm not sure they'll even have a wolf pack. Those we saw are more then likely dead, or old and senile. And if they are still there, we will honor the treaty."

In the end, they agreed. We packed up our belongings and moved to Forks in November of 2003. Before leaving, Alice told me that her visions had become considerably clearer. A major decision had been made. We were going to Forks, which must be the place Alice's visions were taking place in.

"Another one will be made," Alice told me, "But I don't think this decision will be ours to make."

**Hinting at the future is so much fun! And it is so much easier when one of the characters is psychic! Anyway, sorry about the shorter chapter, but I needed to set the scene for our favorite little town on the west coast! Yay Forks! Anyway, stick with me and don't forget to review. I want to have 100 by the time the events of Twilight start to unfold. And tell all your friends what an awesome story this is! LOL!**

**-Wish**


	22. Chapter 22: Another New Beginning

**Hey! I'm being nice and I'm going to update with not one...but TWO chapters. That's because i lied earlier in saying you were only two chapters away from Twilight. You were really two and a third unknown chapter away. My bad. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 22: Another New Beginning_

We moved into a house outside of town, a couple of miles off the highway. In Forks, everything seemed to be off the highway. Following it down the road from our house will take you right through the middle of town. The high school, a collection of worn buildings, was off the highway. The hospital I took a doctor/surgeon's job at was tiny and, off the highway. Logging trucks frequently drove down this highway, through Forks. Then again, Forks was supposed to be the logging capital of Washington!

The house was secluded and open. The entire back side was made of glass. It was slightly amusing actually, considering that all the old stories said vampires live in dark crypts and slept in coffins, and that the sun would burn them. According to the old stories, our house would be the worst place for a coven of vampires. Humans have such imaginations! We moved our things in and the entire family helped Esme decorate. We painted the house in neutral, yet light colors, much like the Denali coven's house had been. Our house would be our safe place, where we didn't have to keep up the façade. We didn't have to hide. If the sun shined through, we could stand in it without worry, letting our skin sparkle like a million facets. If something needed to be moved, we could just pick it up, rather then having to go get a hand trolley or a lifting partner. And most importantly, if we needed to sate our thirst, there was a ready expanse of forest with no humans and plenty of wildlife. The home was perfect!

As I said, the hospital I got a job at was incredibly small, like much of the places in Forks. They were overjoyed to have me on as a doctor and surgeon. The doctor who interviewed me said herself that I could get a job at a top-paying hospital in New York or LA in a minute. She was probably right, except New York was too tempting and LA was too sunny. I simply told her my wife preferred a small-town setting. She didn't question me.

The fourth day after moving in, we got a visit at our house. Emmett answered the door. I was sitting in the living room, watching a History Channel program on World War I. It was always interesting to hear the humans' take on events I'd witnessed.

"Can I help you?" Emmett asked. The distinct scent of human wafted through the door.

"Yes, my name is Charlie Swan; I'm the police chief here. Are you Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" The human sounded extremely uncertain. But Edward, Alice, and Jasper were out hunting. I couldn't find out what he thought, or was feeling.

"No," Emmett replied bluntly.

"Is he home?" Chief Swan asked.

"Yeah hang on a second." Emmett turned and bellowed from the door, too loud for even human hearing. "Carlisle! Police here for you!" He knew I was just in the next room, but Emmett was having too much fun intimidating the Chief.

I got up and walked to the front door at human speed, Esme following curiously. "There's no need to shout Emmett," I scolded, very "fatherly". "I'm right here."

Emmett shrugged and left, returning to the living room. I heard him switch on a football game. Redskins vs. Cardinals.

"What can I do for you Chief?" I asked.

"Do you have a moment Dr. Cullen? I'd like to talk in private."

"Sure." I nodded to Esme behind me, before stepping outside and closing the front door behind me. It was overcast today, but not raining yet.

"Do you have a concern officer?" I asked.

"No," Chief Swan replied. "I don't have a specific grievance. I just like to meet any new families that move into the area." I wondered how many families had moved into the area recently.

"It's a pleasure to meet you then," I told him.

"If you don't mind me saying, you seem very young to have five teenagers." Chief Swan seemed nervous, which was a normal human reaction around us.

I immediately went to our cover story. "Well my wife Esme, you saw her earlier, she can't have children. So we decided to adopt. Rosalie and Jasper, two of the older kids, are twins and Esme's niece and nephew. Their parents died years ago. Our other three, Emmett, who you've also met, Alice, and Edward are foster kids. They've been with us since they were little. We adopted them."

Chief Swan seemed to swallow the story easily enough, though it was a lot to explain. "Naturally you understand my concern with that many teenagers Dr. Cullen," he murmured.

"They are generally well-behaved," I assured Chief Swan, "We haven't had any major problems in the past."

"I'm sure they are," Chief Swan replied. "This is just part of my job, really."

"Of course," I answered, inclining my head. I liked Chief Swan. He seemed an honest man to me. He should be if he's police chief! Forks is too small of a town for crooked cops, though I met my fair share of them, especially in Prohibition times.

Charlie rambled for a bit, talking about Forks and asking about my family. I told him we just moved from Alaska, which was probably the truest part of the entire story, and that the kids were starting school the next day (it was Sunday and that Monday would be rainy). Edward and Alice were enrolled as freshmen and Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were sophomores.

"Emmett seems quite…big for a sophomore," Chief Swan commented.

"Emmett likes to weight-lift," I told him, "but they're all excellent students. I assure you, you will not have any problems with them." Chief Swan nodded and there was an awkward pause.

"Thank you for your time Dr. Cullen," Chief Swan finally said.

"It was nothing really. Anytime Chief." I shook his hand firmly. He flinched, probably from my cold skin, and then left with a nod.

I watched the police cruiser roll back down our driveway (it was probably a bit tricky for humans), before going back inside.

"You hear that? Don't make a liar of me," I joked with Emmett, poking his muscular chest with my index finger. Emmett just snorted and went back to his game.

Esme followed me upstairs to the room that was now my study. At the end of the upstairs hallway hung my father's cross. I remembered seeing it in the church so many lifetimes ago. It was one of my few, fuzzy human memories. I didn't have many. They fade with time. But the cross, which hung in every house I'd had since retrieving it, had been a constant reminder of some human memories.

My office, according to Emmett, looked like a "boring Headmaster's or Dean's" office. Personally, I liked it. I had a good collection of academic and pleasure books. The ceiling was tall, with towering windows facing towards where the sun would set, whenever it is visible through the thick clouds that seemed to constantly cover Forks. The walls Esme paneled in a dark wood. We'd also gotten a large, mahogany desk and a matching, comfortable-looking leather chair. On the wall across from my desk hung a collection of pictures. My history and the history of our family. Edward had looked at a few of them, the first day he'd joined my family. Since then I'd added more. The most recent was of our baseball clearing in Denali. Alice had taken it. It was a digital print, framed. I really loved my office. I could spend days in it.

Esme followed me inside, closing the door silently behind her.

"Do you think he suspects anything?" she asked. Esme and Emmett had both, of course, listened in on my conversation with Chief Swan. For that matter, Rosalie had probably listened from hers and Emmett's room.

"No," I told her. "I can't be sure without Edward, but Chief Swan seemed relatively trusting and amazingly honest. It was refreshing actually."

Esme nodded, but I knew she was still worried. Perhaps she was worried that we'd have to move before Edward met this girl in Alice's visions. I pulled her close to me, stroking her soft, caramel hair and breathing in her sweet scent. "Everything will be fine," I assured her. "Tomorrow the kids start school. Edward is sure to find this girl there."

"But Alice's visions are still hazy. If the police suspect us, we'll have to go before others begin to as well."

"He doesn't suspect a thing. You didn't see his face. He swallowed our cover story easily. We won't have to go anywhere for at least another four years."

Esme looked up at me with her rich golden eyes. She wasn't thirsty in the least, I noted. We'd gone hunting, just the two of us, the day after we'd moved in. I imagined my own eyes were much like hers.

I leaned down and kissed her hard and passionately, only stopping when we heard the arrival of Edward, Alice, and Jasper downstairs.

Esme sighed, echoing the disappointment I felt. With the Denalis, we'd had more time to ourselves. But now we were back in human society. In eight hours it would be time for another first day of school/work. Yet another new beginning.

When we came downstairs, the kids were smiling, obviously excited about something.

"What's going on?" I asked, curious.

"Well Carlisle," Alice said. "You know how you've always been a father to us and we ungrateful teenagers have never really expressed our gratitude for it."

"We know that you still drive around that old Mercedes 560SEC from the eighties," Emmett continued, snorting, "and we thought that, as a way of thanking you, we could maybe upgrade you to this millennia." He grinned and his expression was echoed in those of his siblings. I looked over at Esme, who was also smiling. She was in on it. I could tell. It'd probably been her job to distract me, which she'd done an excellent job at.

Alice skipped forward, laying her hands over my eyes. "Come on," she said. She steered me out the front door and around the side of the house to the garage.

"Ready?" she asked, though I don't think she was asking me. Someone nodded (I heard their clothing ruffle) and she removed her hands with a flourish. "Tah-dah!"

Sitting in the driveway, sleek and black and positively brand new, was another Mercedes. Except this one was definitely current.

"It's a Mercedes S55 AMG," Edward said. "Tinted windows of course, the ultimate luxury car with an engine to back it up."

"And I've done a few modifications too," Rosalie added. "You have the fastest car of all of us now." She smiled, obviously proud of her work.

Emmett tossed me the keys, which I caught deftly. The car looked amazing. It was sleek, classy, exactly my kind of car. The tinted windows would help if we had to go to a sunny place. Esme laid her hands on my shoulders and gave a soft squeeze.

"The kids wanted to do something special," she whispered.

"Thank you," I said, "to all of you. This is…wow!" I was at a loss for words.

"Enough talking," Emmett said. "You've got to try it out, and then let me have a go. Edward wouldn't let me drive it here." He scowled at Edward who shrugged.

"You might not have brought it back," Edward retorted.

I couldn't help but walk too fast around to the driver's side. I opened the door and climbed in. The interior was dark grey leather, roomy for a sedan. The console was a faux, deep wood that was polished to a high sheen.

I sat there for a moment, admiring the interior, before igniting the engine. The engine was a soft purr, extremely quiet, even from the outside of the car. It was almost nonexistent inside. The passenger side door opened and Esme climbed in. With a smile to her, I closed my door and buckled the seat belt over my chest. It wasn't necessary, but I like to obey human rules.

"Let's go," Esme whispered, flashing her perfectly white teeth.

I eased on the pedal and the car shot off, down the driveway. I navigated down the twisting drive with ease, pausing only to get on the highway. Then I took off, quickly reaching 120 mph, speeding away from Forks. This car was fast! I couldn't help but laugh at the thrill of the speed as we drove down the highway, away from Forks, leaving the speed limit in the dust. I liked this new beginning!


	23. Chapter 23: Gossip

_Chapter 23: Gossip_

We lived a relatively quiet existence in Forks, Washington for about two years. I worked at the hospital a lot, sometimes multiple shifts. The kids all got straight A's, as they should. They have photographic memories and had all been through high school a few times.

At first, our family was a major topic of gossip. A young couple, still in their twenties, with five teenagers would be idle gossip anywhere. But in Forks, it was almost a town scandal, much to our amusement. Forks didn't see much change, so anything new was talked about for weeks after. Edward closely monitored the students' thoughts.

"Mainly, they like to fantasize about us," he said. "Rosalie is a particular among the male population."

Rosalie smiled, obviously satisfied with her impression on Fork's male student body. Rosalie was often jealous if someone took the spot light off of her.

"But none of them will say anything because they're scared of Emmett." Emmett grinned, wrapping an arm around Rosalie's shoulders.

"They should be," he replied with a sharp nod.

"The girls are split between Emmett and me," Edward said, matter-of-factly. "Me because I'm single, and Emmett because he looks like a bad-boy." Edward chuckled.

"Well, I guess you're just going to have to get a girlfriend little bro," Emmett said. We all laughed. Emmett was always pestering Edward about his love life, or lack thereof.

Edward rolled his eyes and turned towards me. "During the brief visit to the hospital, I found that just about every female working there has sighed about the new, young Dr. Cullen. Of course, they were all disappointed when they found out you and Esme were happily married."

I grinned, hugging Esme tighter to me where we sat on the couch in the living room. Everyday I was thankful that Esme wasn't the jealous type. Every new hospital I started in, the women nurses and secretaries ogled over my looks for the first two weeks or so. I did my best to discourage them, making it known quickly that I was married and had adopted "children".

"They think it's scandalous that Rosalie and Emmett and Alice and Jasper are 'together'," Edward went on. "Since were all technically brother and sister, by adoption anyway. Some of the more open-minded ones think it's alright because only Rosalie and Jasper are said to be blood-related."

"They'll get over it," Emmett said. He planted a kiss on Rosalie's mouth as if in defiance. They went a bit overboard, as usual.

"You mind?" Alice asked sarcastically, grimacing.

"Not at all!" Emmett replied. He picked Rosalie bodily up and took her upstairs at vampire speed. The rest of us were left sitting downstairs awkwardly. I felt sorry for Jasper, who could probably sense their emotions from where he sat with Alice in his lap in the large armchair.

As time wore on though, the Cullen family sunk back into the background of Forks. We didn't do anything to draw attention to ourselves and didn't really participate in any social activities, so people began to just ignore us. We became like just another rain cloud in the sky or another green tree. The gossip moved on.

Esme was disappointed that Edward hadn't found the girl from Alice's visions at school. She asked Alice about her visions often, trying to predict when Edward might meet the new girl. But even Alice was not able to determine a time, since there were still at least two major decisions to be made.

Then, one day in January of 2005, Alice's visions became decidedly clearer. She rushed out of school in the middle of the day, shielding her thoughts from Edward, and came to find me at the hospital. I was in surgery when she arrived, but as soon as the three hour procedure was completed, she assaulted me as I was coming out of the surgery room.

"She's here! Or coming for sure," Alice told me. It took me a moment to understand what she was talking about.

"You mean, like what you saw in Denali?" I asked.

"Yes Carlisle!" she replied impatiently. "Everything suddenly cleared up. It's so sure now! She's either here already, or on her way, or about to leave wherever she's coming from."

Alice practically bounced down the corridors of the hospital after me as I went to check on my patients. An orderly gave me a questioning look. When I shrugged, she looked sympathetic.

"And Edward almost found out," Alice was saying. "I was on the way to the cafeteria with Jasper. If I was in there, he totally would have seen and then all the fun would have been ruined."

I stopped at the foot of a bed, checking a patient's chart. Alice chattered on as I tried to decide whether or not this patient could be released. The patient, a middle-age woman in for knee surgery, looked at Alice and then to me. I could almost hear her mental question. Who on earth is that girl?

"Alice," I said, cutting her off. I felt bad for doing so but I was afraid she would let something slip in her chatter. "We'll discuss this at home."

"But Edward's at home," she replied.

"I'm working," I reminded her, nodding to the patient. The woman smiled at Alice when my adopted daughter looked her way, as if noticing our audience for the first time.

"Oh, err…sorry ma'am," she apologized.

"It's alright dear," the woman told her. "Are you Dr. Cullen's daughter?"

"Adopted," Alice smiled radiantly. "I'm Alice Cullen." She walked around to the side of the woman's bed and extended a hand. The woman shook Alice's hand, returning her smile, but not able to copy the brilliance of Alice's.

"It's a pleasure," the woman told Alice. I noticed the involuntary shiver that humans usually made when they touched our cold skin. Alice let go and skipped towards the door.

"I'll talk to you after your shift Carlisle," she called as she left, not bothering to wait for my response.

I sighed, shaking my head as I turned back to the patient.

"She must be quite a handful," the woman remarked.

"Alice is certainly one-of-a-kind," I replied, thinking about just how different Alice was from a regular teenager, and not being able to help the chuckle that escaped my throat. "So Mrs. Johnson…"

When I returned home, I was met with the news that Forks was about to receive yet another new inhabitant.

"The news is out that Chief Swan's daughter is coming to live with him," Edward told the family at home. "Moving from Phoenix. The Chief says her name is Isabella."

Esme couldn't hide her hopefulness. Edward gave her a quizzical look, but didn't understand enough about its context to be suspicious.

"I thought Charlie Swan wasn't married," Emmett said.

"He's divorced," Edward corrected. "This is the daughter from that marriage. She hasn't visited Forks in three years, which would explain why we don't know her."

Edward looked over at Alice. "Why are you translating _Pride and Prejudice_ into Mandarin?" he asked.

Alice only smiled at him and, I assumed, continued her translation. This was how she kept Edward out of her head. She occupied it with some difficult, mental task. Often times it was completely meaningless. But it was enough to keep her from thinking about the visions she didn't want Edward to know about.

We left the news of Isabella's arrival at that. She was just another new student to us, the daughter of the Chief of Police. When she came, Edward would listen to her thoughts as she was told the "dirty laundry", as Emmett put it, on the Cullens, and then tell us if she was any more perceptive then her father. If she wasn't, then we'd have no need to fear.

After Edward, Emmett, and Jasper went out (to Seattle I think), Alice met with Esme and I to give us the details about changes to her vision.

"It's so clear now!" she whispered. Rosalie was still in the house and the less people who knew about it, the less chance there was of Edward finding out before we wanted him to. "Well, at least, anything about her. For some reason, the vision of her in the meadow has her becoming hazier. I don't understand it, but something will happen so that it makes sense." She chattered about telling time through her visions, and how the fogginess of the different people affected everything. My mind was still on my day at the hospital. We'd lost a man who had had pancreatic cancer. I found out just after Alice had left.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest to treat. I'd already tried to surgically treat it with a pancreaticduodenectomy, and then adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine, but he'd had a relapse. I could honestly say I'd tried everything, but I still felt responsible for his death.

"Do you think it's time to tell Edward now?" Esme asked. She was hopeful. Especially after hearing that a new girl was coming into town.

"I'll have to think about it," Alice replied, thoughtfully. "Maybe after he meets this girl." She'd turned and ran off, up the stairs at vampire speed and out of sight.

"What's wrong Carlisle," Esme asked. Concern played across her eyes. I'd forgotten that she was as perceptive about me as I was about her.

"We lost Mr. Miller today," I told her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She knew how I handled patient deaths. She'd comforted me through many of them. She also knew it was best to let me work through it on my own.

"I'll be upstairs," I said. I left her downstairs and retreated to my study, intent on reading through every medical book on cancer I had in my library. But for some reason, thoughts of Alice's vision kept coming to the forefront of my mind. In one section I read the words on the pages in front of me.

_The most common technique of the pancreaticduodenectomy consists of the en bloc removal of the distal segment of the stomach…_

But I was focused on what Alice had told me._ 'It's so sure now! She's either here already, or on her way, or about to leave wherever she's coming from.'_ The gossip around town said it might be the last of the three options. We don't know if Isabella Swan is the girl in Alice's visions, but if she is, then Edward's life might be in for a sudden change.

'They're only rumors,' I told myself. 'Only rumors Carlisle. Rumors are not a good source of information.' I forced myself to focus on the reading again.

_Some authors advocate the removal of the whole pancreas, in a total pancreatectomy, instead of just the head. However, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate significant survival benefits, mostly because patients who submit to this operation tend to develop a particularly severe form of diabetes, diabetes mellitus…_

**Thank you so much for reading. How do you like a bit of that medical talk huh? Yay learning! Anyway, again I'm sorry for the deception but for sure, the next Chapter will be about Twilight/Midnight Sun. I've already been reading up on the chapters i'll be referrencing. From now on, it's going to be so much more of Stephenie Meyer then WishinOnMyStar. So just review and tell your friends, like it tell you to do at the end of most of the chapters!**

**-Wish**


	24. Chapter 24: Faith

_Chapter 24: Faith_

We went about our lives as if nothing was new. The buzz around the town was all about Isabella. People were in much anticipation for her arrival. It finally came on January 17, 2005.

I was working. All day, rumors had been flying around the patients and staff at the hospital about the poor Swan girl. Most were wondering if she was as "flighty" as her mother, who'd apparently left Forks when Isabella was just eighteen months old. Some speculated that she would be bored in Forks, after living in such a big city like Phoenix, Arizona. I would have loved to see Phoenix, and other southern cities. But it was much too sunny for our kind. We wouldn't be able to have a normal social life with that much sun.

It was afternoon, just as the kids were getting out of school, when Edward showed up. Sometimes they visited me at the hospital, occasionally just stopping in. But most times, they came to talk to me about something that couldn't wait until everybody got home at night. I was in my office at the hospital, going over a patient's medical history, trying to see if they would be a good candidate for a surgery procedure. I looked up from the packet as I heard agitated footsteps outside, and then the door swung open. It was Edward!

He looked horrible. The expression on his face was worse than when he'd returned to Esme and me after his brief foray away from our family. It was marred with despair; despair fiercer then any I'd seen from him in the 87 years I'd known Edward. Surprise and wary struck my silent heart, and would have caused my breath to catch in my throat, had breathing still been a necessary process.

"Edward?"

He looked wild, his eyes darting around my office. "I have to go, Carlisle. I have to go now."

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Yet. But it will, if I stay."

Instinctively, I reached for his arm to calm him and comfort him. But he cringed away like my gesture was meant to hurt, rather than help. I felt distressed, rejected that he hadn't allowed me to comfort him. That he hadn't let me help him.

"I don't understand," I admitted. Truthfully I didn't. Edward was speaking in short bursts, not giving enough information.

"Have you ever…has there ever been a time…"

Edward was concerning my now. He looked so flustered. It takes a lot to throw Edward into such a state. He's always seemed so collected.

"Has any one person ever smelled better to you then the rest of them? Much better?"

"Oh." I couldn't help it. I knew I should say something more, but "Oh" was all I managed. I understood. He was tempted, by someone whose blood smelled better than any other human's. Although I was repulsed by the concept of feeding on humans, that didn't mean my predator body didn't react. It was in the 18th century when I'd smelled the scent of a young girl, no older then fourteen, who'd been the hardest to resist. I couldn't help the shame that played across my face as I remembered how close I'd come to killing the girl. I rested my hand on his shoulder, ignoring his recoil.

"Do what you must to resist, son. I will miss you. Here," I tossed him my keys from my lab coat pocket, "take my car. It's faster."

Edward looked at the keys I'd given him a moment before tossing me his. I wondered if I'd done what was right. By sending Edward off, had my lack of trust hurt him? I sincerely hope not. That had not been my intention. I'd tried to handle it as best as I could, and I thought it would be better if Edward decided what he needed to do so that an innocent life was spared. And Isabella was Charlie's only daughter. I didn't want to see this incredibly honest man hurt.

Edward turned on his toes and hurried away, much too fast to maintain the human pretense. Thankfully the hospital became much too busy to notice this slip. Three car crash victims arrived in the emergency room and I was called off to help.

Upon arriving home, I found that everyone else already knew Edward was gone. Alice had foreseen him going to Denali. I breathed a sigh of relief to know that Edward was going to friends. He would sort things out in Denali, and decide what he was going to do about Isabella.

She was the reason for his leaving, Alice confirmed that too. Edward hadn't been able to hear Isabella's ("Bella," Alice corrected.) thoughts. He'd been listening to what she said. But meeting her in biology had been too much.

"He'd come so close to killing her and the entire class," Alice said. "For the longest time, he was so sure. He was planning it."

"What happened?" Esme asked softly. She spoke the words we all thought.

"He resisted," Alice said simply. She turned to look at me. "He didn't want to disappoint you Carlisle."

I was filled with pride. Pride for my oldest and youngest son. He'd been tested, and had succeeded against his thirst long enough to get away.

I looked up to see everyone looking to me. They wanted me to say something. They wanted to know what we would do, remain in Forks, follow Edward back north, or even move elsewhere so that Edward may be more inclined to return.

"Edward will sort everything else, and will return to us when he's ready," I told them. "We will wait here for him."

Esme nodded, her expression falling. She was still worried about Edward. We all were. But Edward was Esme's first adopted son, and he'd left once before. I remembered the depression. I don't think I could stand Esme slipping into that sort of sorrow again.

So I waited until everyone dispersed, then took Esme by the hand and led her out back. As soon as we hit the trees, we started running, and didn't stop until we reached the Canadian border. We would have gone farther, but it was a pain to have to come back into the United States.

Esme let out a muffled choke that was the closest vampires could come to crying. We can't produce tears. I pulled her in tight, holding her as close to me as possible as she "cried".

"I trust him," I whispered to her. "Edward will come back. He loves you and Alice and Emmett, all of us. He will sort this out in his own time, and return to us when he's ready. I have faith in him."

Esme looked up at me. "I do too," she whispered. She nodded, gaining conviction. "I do too. Edward will be alright in Denali. He has Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen, and Eleazer. They'll help him figure this out and he'll return when he's ready."

"Right," I nodded, smiling down at her. She smiled up at me for the longest time. Then we both realized we were alone with not a chance of being disturbed in the middle of the backwoods. Emmett and Rosalie would have been proud of us.

**Tell me what you think! All information for dates come from Twilight's Lexicon's timeline based on the books and Stephenie Meyer's letters. However, if you see anything that's wrong, don't hesitate to drop me a line and tell me so I can fix it ASAP. Thanks!**

**-Wish**


	25. Chapter 25: Worth It

**Okay, just a warning right now, this Chapter probably isn't as great as you think it will be. It's a lot of perspective and not much action. But fear not, for Chapter 26 deals with…can you guess? That's right, the CAR ACCIDENT! YAY! I promise it's gonna be good, but you have to give me time because it's majorly important and I've got midterms to study for as well. **

**Anyway, don't forget to review!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 25: Worth It_

With Edward gone, tension in the family was at an all time high. Everyone had their own opinion of Bella and without Edward to hear their thoughts, they'd taken to voicing them, loudly even by human standards.

The family seemed split into two factions, more or less. One thought Edward should distance himself from the Swan girl and just forget about her. That was Rosalie's, Jasper's, and Emmett's point-of-view.

But Alice and Esme disagreed profusely. Alice wanted Edward to get to know the Swan girl. She believed he could resist the scent of her blood. She'd seen herself and Bella as good friends. Esme's view was simple, she desperately hoped for Edward to find love. Alice had verified that Bella was the girl from her visions. Like Alice, Esme believed Edward could resist. He'd fought through the initial shock. Now that he knew what to expect, he could be prepared for it. Or at least, that was Esme's logic.

I didn't know who to agree with. I trusted Edward; that much I was 100% certain about. He was good at our vegetarian lifestyle, having not slipped up once since returning to the family. But I had no real way of knowing just how much a siren's call Bella's blood was to him. I couldn't read is mind like he could read mine. I couldn't tell just how close he'd been when first Bella's scent wafted to his nose. I'd had my own experience, but what if Edward's was more intense? I had brought compassion to my vampire life and I believed that was what allowed me to resist human blood so thoroughly. But Edward didn't have that extra help. Could he resist? For at least two more years?

I didn't know. It was one of the few times I'd been uncertain about moving the family. Everyone liked it here. We could live as close to normal hours as vampires could. The sun stayed behind the clouds enough for us to do that. Rosalie had made it quite clear she didn't want to leave.

"And what happens when Edward murders the Swan girl?" she demanded at Alice during one of the heated "discussions". "We leave town after a few months or so and start back at tenth grade again? I'm almost through high school. I don't want to begin again at fifteen!"

Starting high school each time had always been an annoyance for Rosalie. She didn't like having to get her driver's license again and again. And she had no patience for easy high school courses. For someone like Rosalie, with a Ph. D. in Engineering, subjects like High School Algebra, Geometry, even Trigonometry, were elementary topics. But the younger we start, the longer we can stay in one place. Rosalie knew that, which was quite possibly the only reason she put up with it. But here was something threatening to send her back down into the lower grades earlier than usual. After graduating Forks, Rosalie and Emmett would have probably "gone off to college". That meant they would either live on their own, or live at home without coming out into public a lot, or even really go to college somewhere else, just the two of them. Jasper would have stayed no matter what. Alice was still in high school, technically. But if we moved, Rosalie couldn't do that. It wouldn't work out really. So she didn't want to move just yet.

Emmett really didn't care all that much I think. He was mostly just agreeing with Rosalie because, well let's face it, she's Rosalie. Emmett didn't like being on her bad side. So he agreed with her, supporting her like a good husband should. I truly didn't know Emmett's real take on the situation. Only the one he put up for Rosalie.

Jasper's take was interesting; strictly tactical. Jasper had a brilliant military mind. He thought about what would be the most logical and the best tactically. He tried to remain as emotionally removed as possible. But that was hard for him to do, since he was an empath. With emotions heightened as they were, poor Jasper probably felt as torn between the two factions as I did. The only way I found out Jasper's opinion was when we went hunting, just the two of us. Jasper didn't mind being around me so much, probably because I was unsure of my view on the "Bella Issue", as it was being called now.

"I think Edward's best bet is to just stay away," Jasper admitted on this trip. "He has too much to lose if he fails to control himself around her. Plus, why take the physical punishment?"

"I guess so," I replied. "But doesn't Alice think that Edward will be able to resist? Isn't there merit in finding out whether or not this Bella would be good for him?"

Jasper was silent for a moment. I wasn't sure if he was tasting my emotions, or considering my words. "No," Jasper said conclusively. "The risk does not outweigh the gain. It's not worth it."

We left the conversation at that, focusing on bringing down prey. I tried to consider what Jasper was saying. He was probably the most impartial, emotionally anyway. I thought that was ironic, since he dealt with all of our emotions, not just his own. I had a new respect for Jasper after that trip.

We argued for a week. Then Alice had a vision of Edward jumping in my car and speeding all the way home, his mind resolved. He was going to tough it out. He was going to see Bella again and talk to Bella and at no time was he going to succumb to his thirst. His mind was made up on that. Rosalie was annoyed about it. Jasper didn't really approve, but he wouldn't voice that opinion. Emmett was just happy, I think, to not have to go along with Rosalie anymore. Alice was ecstatic, even more cheerful then usual. And Esme was thrilled that Edward was going to give Bella the chance. I was just happy that my son was coming home. I'd missed him. Edward had been my longest companion and, not including Esme, my most faithful.

Edward arrived home Sunday night, around eleven. He had hunted along the way and his eyes were a rich, butterscotch color. He seemed to be optimistic, or at least trying to put on that sort of attitude. He reassured everyone that he could handle it. I said he was going to school the next day and that everything would be fine.

"Really," Edward insisted for the fifth time. Esme and Alice and Emmett had been hovering over him, telling him that if he wasn't sure, it was alright to just take another day off. He'd missed a week of school already. One more day wasn't really going to matter. "I'll be fine. And if I feel like I'm losing it, I'll just hold my breath and ask to go to the nurse. It's fine."

That Monday, my thoughts drifted to Edward at the school. I wondered how he was doing, and whether or not someone would come to tell me that Edward had failed and had killed Bella. When Alice came in, after lunch time, my heart sank before she even spoke.

"It's alright I think," Alice said. "I just wanted to say, it was really close, but Edward made it through. The vision of him feeding on Bella has faded."

"That's good Alice," I said. We were in my office once more and I signed off my computer to make my usual rounds.

"I'll see you at home," she said, and left. That was a bit unusual. Typically, Alice liked to stay and chat. But she seemed preoccupied by something. I'd have to ask Edward that night if he could get anything from her, or if she was blocking him again.


	26. Chapter 26: Disaster

**A/N: Okay, it was a long time in coming, but here it finally is, the accident scene that changed it all, from Carlisle's POV. Read, Review, and Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 26: Disaster_

That night, Edward wanted to go hunting again. He was being proactive about Bella Swan, not letting himself get the least bit thirsty. I was proud of him for being so responsible. I went with him this time. It was the first time we'd been alone since he'd returned on Sunday.

As we ran, I recalled our last exchange in my office. It had been a time of concern and uncertainty, not just for me, but for him as well. I remembered Edward's words and how it'd hurt when he'd cringed away. I wondered if I'd done the right thing in sending him away at the time. I wondered if my lack of trust had hurt him, or even contributed to his leaving.

"No," Edward whispered. "That was what I needed. I might so easily have betrayed that trust, if you'd told me to stay."

"I'm sorry you're suffering, Edward. But you should do what you can to keep the Swan child alive." I forced out the last phrase. "Even if it means that you must leave us again." It would all but kill Esme if Edward left again. She'd been so happy to have him home the night before.

"I know, I know," Edward replied.

"Why did you come back?" I asked, curious. Then I realized how my words could be misconstrued and added quickly, "You know how happy I am to have you here, but if this is too difficult…"

"I didn't like feeling like a coward," Edward confessed.

Edward and I had slowed to talk. A human could have probably passed us running at this pace.

"Better that than to put her in danger," I reminded him. "She'll be gone in a year or two."

"You're right, I know that."

I stopped running. Edward's face didn't match his words. He was patronizing me.

But you're not going to run, are you? I asked him silently.

Edward's head dropped in reply.

Is it pride, Edward? There's no shame in—

"No, it isn't pride that keeps me here," he interrupted. "Not now."

Nowhere to go? I suggested.

He laughed a clipped laugh, not really true joy. "No. That wouldn't stop me, if I could make myself leave."

"We'll come with you, of course, if that's what you need. They won't begrudge you this."

Edward cocked an eyebrow, making me laugh.

"Yes, Rosalie might," I admitted, "but she owes you. Anyway, it's much better for us to leave now, no damage done, than for us to leave later, after a life has been ended." I was serious now.

Edward flinched. "Yes," he replied, his voice a bit raspy.

But you're not leaving? I asked again silently.

He sighed, "I should."

I was confused. He was making hints that there was more then just one reason why he couldn't leave, like something besides his family was holding him here, in Forks. "What holds you here, Edward? I'm failing to see…"

"I don't know if I can explain."

I tried to read his expression. This was one of the times I wished I could read minds like he could. No, I do not see. But I will respect your privacy, if you prefer, I offered.

"Thank you," he replied. "It's generous of you, seeing as how I give privacy to no one."

We all have our quirks, I thought, laughing, and thinking about Alice's visit with Mrs. Johnson. Shall we? I suggested. I had caught a small herd of deer on my predator's radar.

He sighed, "Let's."

He wasn't too enthusiastic about it, but Edward and I hunted all the same. We had a fairly good hunt as the temperature dropped and the forest froze around us. Neither of us noticed though. I left Edward where he stood by the river, watching the sun rise. I had the early shift and it wouldn't do for me to show up in the same clothing as the day before. Not to mention, Alice would yell at me.

Esme sat on our bed as I changed. She might've been thinking. I got the feeling that she wanted to talk to me about something, but wasn't sure how to go about doing it. I did know that she was happy. Her son was back again.

I left for the hospital before the kids left for school. It was going to be a long day again of waiting for someone to come and tell me that Edward had slipped, and then scolding myself for even considering that Edward might fail. I was alarmed then, when Edward burst into my office.

"Carlisle."

I leapt to my feet, too fast. His face scared me. Edward—you didn't—

"No, no, it's not that."

I sighed in relief. Of course not. I'm sorry I entertained the thought. Your eyes, of course, I should have known… I looked at his bright, topaz eyes, relieved, and guilty for doubting him.

"She's hurt, thought, Carlisle, probably not seriously, but—"

"What happened?" I asked.

"A stupid car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I couldn't just stand there—let it crush her—"

Edward didn't make any sense. Let what crush her? A semi? And how did Edward figure into all this? Start over. I don't understand. How were you involved?

Edward's voice dropped to a whisper, but it was more than loud enough for me to hear.

"A van skidded across the ice. She was in the way. Alice saw it coming, but there wasn't time to do anything but really run across the lot and shove her out of the way. No one noticed…except for her. I had to stop the van, too, but again, nobody saw that…besides her. I'm…I'm sorry Carlisle. I didn't mean to put us in danger."

I felt beyond relieved. Here I'd been afraid Edward would kill Bella, and he'd saved her. I walked around my desk and laid my hand on my son's shoulder. You did the right thing, I reassured him. And it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm proud of you, Edward.

"She knows there's something…wrong with me."

"That doesn't matter. If we have to leave, we leave. What has she said?"

Edward shook his head. "Nothing yet."

Yet? I asked silently.

"She agreed to my version of events—"he explained, "but she's expecting an explanation."

I frowned. I honestly wasn't sure what we would say to her to explain Edward's actions.

"She hit her head—well, I did that." Edward spoke rapidly, almost too fast for a human to hear. "I knocked her to the ground fairly hard. She seems fine, but…I don't think it will take much to discredit her account."

Edward sounded disgusted by the thought. Perhaps that won't be necessary. Let's see what happens, shall we? I suggested. It sounds like I have a patient to check on.

"Please. I'm so concerned that I hurt her."

I considered the irony of Edward's day as I ran my fingers through my hair. It was an absentminded gesture. It's been an interesting day for you, hasn't it? I laughed and he joined me.

I watched as Tyler and Bella were looked over and X-rayed. The PA said she was only slightly injured. I kept away from view, knowing that if she saw me before Bella talked to Edward, she would remember what he could do and she might start telling about the freaky Cullens.

I found Edward looking at Bella's X-rays. He had a medical degree too. It seems that he was calm, after seeing for himself that she was alright.

You look better, I thought to him.

He didn't respond. The hallway was full of humans, visitors, orderlies, and the works.

I pulled Bella's x-rays from the sleeve and stuck them to the lighted board. Ah yes. I see. She's absolutely fine. Well done, Edward. Everything seemed fine with Bella's head at first glance. But as I looked more closely, I saw multiple contusions. Healed, of course, but still…

"I think I'm going to talk to her—before she sees you. Act natural, like nothing happened. Smooth it over."

I nodded, even though I wasn't really listening. All these healed injuries, did Bella have head trauma often? Did someone do this to her? Look at all the healed contusions? I pointed out to Edward. He looked a bit distressed, so I tried to turn it into a joke. How many times did her mother drop her? I laughed quietly, though Edward didn't.

"I'm beginning to think the girl just has really bad luck," he said, staring at the X-ray. "Always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Forks is certainly the wrong place for her, with you here.

Edward flinched. He'd been acting strangely since yesterday. I decided to ignore it though.

Go ahead. Smooth things over. I'll join you momentarily. Edward left quickly as I turned me attention back to the X-ray. I traced each injury, wondering what this girl could've possibly done to earn so many. Was she an extreme sports practitioner? Or was it just like what Edward said, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? I sighed and pulled her X-rays down to replace them with Tyler's. Tyler was in much bad a shape, having gone up against the force of his van, and Edward. He wouldn't be leaving as soon as Bella would. I kept both sets of X-rays with me. It was time to go see my patients, and really meet the cause of Edward's turmoil for the first time.

As I walked down the hallway, I listened to the conversation in the ER.

"It's all about who you know," Edward was saying. "But don't worry, I came to spring you." It was my turn now. Act calm and soothing and, above all else, human.

I walked through the door at a typical human gait. I watched as the girl's expression changed to shock. Not the one I wanted. She'd probably noticed our common eyes and skin. I decided to pretend as if I didn't notice her reaction.

"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"Your X-rays look good," I informed her as I clipped them to the light-board next to her bed. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"I'm fine," she repeated, this time with an exasperated sigh and a glare at Edward.

I stepped closer to her, gently running my fingers over her head until I found the lump where she'd hit her head. I prodded it gently, trying to get a feel for her injury. Bella winced and Edward jerked forward. It was such a small gesture; I don't even think the humans noticed.

"Tender?" I asked.

"Not really," she replied automatically. Edward chuckled and Bella glared at him again.

"Well," I said, "Your father is in the waiting room—you can go home with him now." Then I added, "But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Can't I go back to school?" she asked anxiously. Why would she be impatient to return to school? Most teenagers liked days off, right?

"Maybe you should take it easy today," I recommended.

Bella looked over at Edward, then back to me. "Does he get to go to school?"

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived."

I had walked by the waiting room on my way here. It was packed to capacity with students. "Actually, most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

Bella groaned, "Oh no." She put her head in her hands.

"Do you want to stay?" I asked her, wondering if her head hurt more then she was letting on.

"No, no!" Bella replied. She pulled her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet on the floor. But as she stood, she stumbled forward. I caught her before she hit the ground again.

"I'm fine," She insisted. Blood rushed to her cheeks and I worried about Edward. I felt him tense behind me. I balanced her, then let go, freeing my hands should I need them against Edward.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," I prescribed.

"It doesn't hurt that bad," she insisted.

I picked up her chart to sign off, smiling slightly. Bella was a bit amusing. Her clumsiness was almost endearing, and she seemed to be the sort of person who would hide an injury, before letting anyone know that something was wrong. "It sounds like you were extremely lucky."

"Lucky that Edward happened to be standing next to me."

I'd slipped. Apparently Edward hadn't quite addressed that just yet. "Oh, well, yes," I replied hurriedly, trying to mend my mistake.

All yours, I thought to Edward. Handle it as you think best.

"Thanks so much," Edward breathed. His reply was too fast and too low for either Tyler or Bella to hear. I grinned a little at Edward's obvious sarcasm.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer." Tyler had suffered much more without a vampire to protect him. He'd hit his head as well and had slashes from the windshield. They looked like they were definitely going to need some stitches. I examined the wounds, but kept part of my attention on Edward with Bella.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Bella whispered.

I felt Edward tense and prepared to step in. But he got control over himself again and relaxed just a bit. It was more for my benefit then for Bella's or Tyler's. They probably couldn't have noticed the change anyway.

"Your father is waiting for you," Edward replied.

I heard the swish of her hair and her scent washed over me. He was looking at me, but I was focusing on Edward. Carefully, Edward, I cautioned silently.

"I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind," Bella insisted.

Edward seemed to be trying to decide whether or not that was a good thing. In the end, he left the room with her and I was left to tend Tyler.

I finished off the day, not knowing what was going on outside of the hospital. I didn't know if Bella had said anything, or if anyone had seen anything. Time passed slowly as I tended patient after patient, until finally my shift was up. Then I raced home, as fast as my Mercedes would go.


	27. Chapter 27: A New Turn of Events

_Chapter 27: A New Turn of Events_

I beat the kids home from school. I did it on purpose. I needed to talk to Esme. I needed to tell her what happened, if someone else hadn't already, and I needed to hear her view of things. She was waiting for me when I walked in.

"Alice came home and told me everything," she said at once. That saved me an explanation.

"And?"

"To say I am worried would be an understatement, Carlisle. All I want is for our family to stay together. If it means we leave and Edward doesn't find love here, then so be it. But I can't lose any of them." Her voice grew in conviction until her final statement was an all out declaration.

I paused a moment to think. It was really only a few milliseconds, but for a vampire it was a usual amount of time. "We may not be able to avoid that," I replied, my voice soft. "If Edward decides he has to leave, nothing either of us can say would stop him. You know that. And to be honest, I'm not sure if the others _want_ him to stay. I'm not sure if they will forgive him."

Esme sighed. We heard the Volvo pull off the highway and wind its way down the driveway. We took places in the dining room, which was sort of the family conference room. I sat in my usual seat to the east, while Esme took her seat next to me. She took my hand and gripped it firmly, as if she had to hold me in place. But I wasn't going anywhere. She was my angel, whom I couldn't live without, anymore then I could live without blood.

Edward was first in the dining room. He took the spot on my other side. Esme reached her hand around to lay it on Edward's shoulder. It was like she was trying to physically hold her family together. I was tensed for the inevitable onslaught. The tension was like electricity in the air, ready to lash out when it built enough power. Rosalie took a seat opposite me with Emmett. It was obvious that she was entirely against Edward. Jasper paused for a second, before settling on standing by the wall behind Rosalie. Alice, when she came in, was obviously preoccupied. Her vision was not in the current scene, but more then likely jumping around all the possible outcomes of this confrontation. She took a seat to Esme's other side.

Edward spoke up first. "I'm sorry," he said, looking around the table. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action."

But it was obvious from Rosalie's expression that Edward's words weren't going to make everything better. "What do you mean, 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?"

"Not the way you mean," Edward replied. "I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."

Esme tensed immediately, "No. No, Edward," she breathed.

"It's just a few years," Edward assured her.

Emmett spoke up this time. "Esme's right, though. "You can't go anywhere now. That would be the _opposite_ of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever."

"Alice will catch anything major," Edward insisted.

It was time for me to put my opinion in. "I think Emmett is right, Edward," I said, shaking my head. "The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."

"She won't say anything," Edward replied.

"You don't know her mind," I reminded Edward. Bella was the one person who's thoughts Edward couldn't read.

"I know this much. Alice, back me up."

Alice spoke for the first time since coming in. "I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this." She looked over at Jasper and Rosalie. They were Edward's main opposition.

Rosalie slammed her hand on the table and Esme cringed. "We can't allow the human a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you _must_ see that," she appealed to me. "Even if we decided to all disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind—you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"

That wasn't entirely true. "We've left rumors behind us before," Edward countered.

"Just rumors and suspicions, Edward. Not eyewitnesses and evidence!"

"Evidence!" Edward jeered.

From his spot against the wall, Jasper nodded.

I tried to head Rosalie off, "Rose—"

"Let me finish, Carlisle," she cut me off. "It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious than it looked. Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable of control. I would leave no evidence behind me."

"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient an assassin you are," Edward growled.

I had to stop this now. "Edward, please." Then I turned to Rosalie. She'd obviously put some thought into this. And that wasn't honorable. "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice," I told her. "The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is an innocent."

"It's not personal, Carlisle," Rosalie said icily. "It's to protect us all."

Rosalie was worrying me, in the way she hadn't worried me since those first few months when she'd first became a newborn. Was Rosalie really this heartless monster she was portraying? I thought she wasn't. I _knew_ she wasn't. Rosalie was just worried.

I nodded and Rosalie's eyes lit up. She must've thought I was saying "yes" to her proposal. But I was far from it. This was a subject I would not budge on.

"I know you mean well, Rosalie, but…I'd like very much for our family to be _worth_ protecting," I said carefully. "The occasional…accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are. To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely." I grimaced at the thought of such a heinous act. "I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to the greater risk." Jasper had said something like that not too long ago. The gains have to outweigh the risk. "If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we risk something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are." Then we would be just like all the others of our kind, killing innocent lives needlessly, even sadistically.

Rosalie grimaced. "It's just being responsible."

"It's being callous," I corrected, careful to keep my tone gentle. "Every life is precious."

Rosalie sighed and pouted. Emmett, the dutiful husband, rubbed her shoulder. "It'll be fine, Rose," he reassured softly.

I continued. "The question is whether we should move on?"

"No," Rosalie complained. "We just got settled. I don't want to start on my sophomore year in high school again!"

"You could keep your present age, of course," I suggested.

"And have to move again that much sooner?" she retorted.

I shrugged. We couldn't always get everything we wanted.

"I _like_ it here! There's so little sun, we get to be almost _normal_."

"Well we certainly don't have to decide now," I said. "We can wait and see if it becomes necessary. Edward seems certain of the Swan girl's silence."

I felt Edward's attention shift to Jasper, who still stood against the wall behind Rosalie, having yet to say anything.

"Jasper," Edward said.

Jasper looked to Edward, impassive.

"She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."

"She benefits from it, then?" Jasper countered. "She should have died today, Edward. I would only set that right."

"I will not allow it," Edward said again. He'd taken on my role as human protector.

Jasper shook his head. "I won't let Alice live in danger, even a slight danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward, and you haven't lived through what I've lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."

"I'm not disputing that, Jasper," Edward insisted. "But I'm telling you now, I won't allow you to hurt Isabella Swan."

"Jazz." Alice broke through the glaring contest between Edward and Jasper. Jasper looked a way after a moment.

"Don't bother telling me you can protect yourself, Alice. I already know that. I've still got to—"

Alice cut short his statement. "That's not what I'm going to say. I was going to ask you for a favor."

Edward's mouth fell open. Obviously he'd seen something in Alice's visions that was a complete shock.

"I know you love me," Alice continued. "Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella. First of all, Edward's serious and I don't want you two fighting. Secondly, she'd my friend. At least, she's _going_ to be."

"But…Alice…" Jasper choked.

"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz. I'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be." Alice's eyes wandered to a not so distant future. "Ah, see? Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about."

Edward was seeing more. "Alice, what…does this…?"

"I told you there was change coming," she said. "I don't know, Edward."

Alice's gaze fell on Jasper, who seemed to be too stunned to do or say anything.

"What Alice? What are you hiding?"

It was odd being on the outside of Edward's mental battles. Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, and I could only look back and forth between Alice and Edward as each spoke aloud, or did something we could see. It was like watching a tennis match at Wimbledon.

"Is it about the girl? Is it about Bella?" Edward asked.

Alice was concentrating, gritting her teach with the effort.

"NO!" Edward shouted, jumping up and knocking his chair over.

I was up in an instant, my arm on Edward's shoulder. "Edward!"

"It's solidifying," Alice murmured. "Every minute you're more decided. There're really only two ways left for her. It's one or the other, Edward."

"No," he insisted.

"Will somebody _please_ let the rest of us in on the mystery?" Emmett grumbled.

"I have to leave," Edward whispered, ignoring Emmett.

"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett said, too loud for the setting, or the present company. "That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."

"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward," Alice added. "I don't know if you _can_ leave anymore." Alice and Edward stared at each other for a moment, obviously having another one of their mental conversations.

"I don't hear that," Edward said finally.

Again Alice looked at him, saying something silently.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Edward laid his head in his hands. None of this was making much sense to the rest of us.

"Love her _too_?" Edward hissed, incredulous. I was intensely curious. From Edward's verbal replies, their conversation obviously involved Edward and Bella, and something he didn't want. But it couldn't be him killing Bella, because he wouldn't have said anything about _love_, would he have?

Silence from Alice. Edward shook his head, his expression changing to one of horror. "No. I don't have to follow that course. I'll leave. I _will_ change the future."

Finally Alice spoke aloud. "You can try," she challenged.

Emmett lost patience with them. "Oh, _come on_!"

"Pay attention," Rose shushed him. "Alice sees him falling for a _human_! How classically Edward!" She pretended to choke.

"What?" Emmet was startled. Then he laughed his ringing laugh that could shake a room. "Is that what's been going on?" He laughed again. "Tough break, Edward." Emmett rested his hand on Edward's shoulder, but Edward shrugged it off.

"What do you see, Alice?" Jasper asked. "Exactly."

"It all depends on whether he is strong enough or not," She said. "Either he'll kill her himself"—so they could've been talking about Edward killing the Swan girl—"which would _really_ irritate me, Edward, not to mention what it would do to _you_, or she'll be one of us someday."

Esme gasped.

"That's not going to happen! Either one!" Edward shouted.

"It all depends. He may be just strong enough not to kill her—but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control. More even than Carlisle has." I looked around at the mention of my name. It was more of a knee-jerk action. Psychologists would call it the "Cocktail-party effect". "He may be _just_ strong enough…The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away fro, her. That's a lost cause."

Everyone was silent in response to Alice's prediction. Edward stared at Alice, horrified, while we all looked at him. After a while, I spoke.

"Well this…complicates things."

"I'll say," Emmett concurred. He seemed on the verge of laughter.

I thought about this new turn of events. "I suppose the plans remain the same, though," I said. "We'll stay, and watch. Obviously, no one will…hurt the girl."

Edward tensed.

"No," Jasper murmured. "I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways—"Jasper was probably the most ready to trust Alice's visions of all of us.

"No!" Edward wailed. "No!" Edward left in a rush. Esme briefly touched his arm as he left the room, and then he was out of the house, running away. The rest of us were left, stunned. Nobody spoke for a good two minutes, simply deep in our own thoughts.

I trusted Alice and I trusted Edward. Some how, things would work out. Patience was the key here. Let the events play out, but keep watch carefully, and be ready to step in if need be. That was the easiest way to approach this new turn of events.

"Well," Emmett said finally, "That was a good family meeting." He got up and followed Edward's path out, except his ended at the couch with remote in hand. Slowly, the rest of them followed him out until only Esme and I remained in the dining room. It was the same scene we'd started with.

"I'm not sure what to think," Esme admitted.

"My philosophy has been and always will be, patience," I told her. "I think we need to see how things play out."

"And if they play out for the worse?" Esme asked.

I frowned. I hoped everything would be fine, but we should be prepared for the worst.

"Then we'll have to move," I said.

Esme met my gaze with her butterscotch stare. We'd hunted not to long ago. Slowly, she nodded. "I would follow you anywhere," she said. "And I pray the others would too."

**A/N: Hey! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, because I stayed up late to finish it for you guys. So review this and pass it on!**

**-Wish**


	28. Chapter 28:Old Visitors and New Thoughts

**A/N: Okay, I'm really sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I wasn't sure on what direction I wanted to go, but Stephenie Meyer gave me a hint where she wanted Carlisle's story to go with a nice scene from the partial draft of Midnight Sun. So here it is, and I'm already working on the next chapter. I've got a few days to write so, maybe I can get you another by Monday. We'll see. Read, Review, Pass it on! **

**-Wish**

_Chapter 28: Old Visitors and New Thoughts_

Edward returned to school the day after the argument and life moved on. He seemed to be getting back to a normal routine until one unusually sunny day in March.

We'd all stayed home, making the excuse of a "family hiking trip". But really, we had a pleasant surprise (well, actually it wasn't that much of a surprise, since Alice had predicted it the week before). Two of Jasper's old acquaintance, Peter and Charlotte, stopped by for a visit. They were in the area and looking for something to do on a sunny day.

Peter and Charlotte arrived on Monday morning, just as Alice had said they would. Edward was out, having not given us an explanation at all. Jasper immediately warned his friends about hunting in the town and briefly explained a bit of Edward's situation.

"We will be sure to stay away," Peter assured him. "We do not intend to create trouble for you."

"Thanks Peter," Jasper replied.

"Besides, we fed before we even set foot on your peninsula," Charlotte added. "This isn't our first visit."

"Thank you again," I put in. "Edward's just a bit…touchy, at the moment."

Peter and Charlotte assured me of their understanding and we moved on. Emmett wanted to go out and do something. He never liked just staying inside on a sunny day. Even though we couldn't go amongst humans, that didn't mean we couldn't go out at all. Forks was surrounded by miles of forest with nothing but animals and plants.

"Football," Emmett challenged Peter. "Rainer Field."

"You're on!" Peter replied.

"Shouldn't we wait for Edward to get back?" Esme suggested. Edward had been absent the past couple nights, hunting or simply running. He wasn't back yet.

"Here," Emmett said. He grabbed a scrap of paper and a pencil and scribbled _Football at the Rainer Field—c'mon! Please?_ He stuck it to the newel post. "I doubt he's gonna come, but if for some reason he wants to play, there it is. Alright? Can we go now?"

"Okay we can go," Esme conceded.

Emmett whooped and raced out the back door, followed by Peter and Charlotte and then the rest of us. We ran southwest towards Mt. Rainer. Rainer field was an open area, big enough for vampire-size fields, where we liked to play sports. We'd found the field within a week of our arrival at Forks. Emmett arrived first, holding the football.

"I pick first!" he called. "Jasper!" Peter became the other "captain" and he and Emmett went back and forth, choosing the two teams. Eventually, Emmett's team consisted of Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Esme. I was on Peter's team with Charlotte and Alice. We kicked first. Alice punted the ball almost all the way to the edge of the trees on the opposite end of the field. Jasper caught it and sprinted forward, Emmett his blocker. But Peter and Charlotte made quick work of them, Peter taking out Emmett and Charlotte going in for the tackle. Jasper hadn't gotten far.

We played all day, none of us getting tired. Emmett's, Jasper's, and Peter's competitive sides kept the game going most of the day and a good part into the night, before Esme finally called the game. The score was 410-392, Peter's team. Emmett was grumpy for a while on the run back, but by the time we arrived back at the house, he'd all but forgotten the loss.

Edward still wasn't home when we got back, though he'd stopped in. A _sorry_ was written in his neat, calligraphic handwriting.

"Edward must be busy," Peter commented.

"Maybe," I replied, looking to Alice. She glanced my way and gave a subtle nod.

"Does he still play?" Charlotte asked. She ran her fingers over the piano, sitting in the corner.

"Sometimes," Esme replied. "He has a new composition that he's been working on. You should hear it, it is beautiful."

"If he ever comes home," Emmett snorted. Rosalie scowled. She still harbored ill feelings about Edward's actions on the day of the car crash. I gave Rosalie and Emmett a warning look, reminding them of our guests.

"Tell me, what have you been up to Carlisle?" Peter asked.

"Working at the hospital. Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward all go to school, though yesterday and today are sort of an unofficial break for them. They'll be back on Wednesday."

"I imagine you can't have too many sunny days, if they can go to school," Charlotte commented.

"Forks is almost perpetually cloudy," Rosalie said dryly.

"Though I know I could definitely use more sunny days," Emmett said. "High school is boring the first time, let alone the fifty-something-th time."

"Do you know where you might move on after this?" Peter asked.

"We have been thinking about Canada, or maybe back east," I replied. "Perhaps even returning to Europe."

"You have to tell us when you decide," Charlotte insisted. "It's always fun visiting the Cullens." She smiled, looking around the room at each of the members of my family.

I heard the kitchen door open and Edward walked in. Emmett and Esme greeted him and he nodded coolly before sitting down at his piano. He began playing softly, but the melody began to pick up an edge. Edward was impatient about something. Perhaps he wanted to leave again. He was probably just trying to be a gracious host in staying for a while.

We listened to his music for a while, but eventually Peter and Charlotte began hinting that it was time for them to be moving on. The sun was setting and they would be able to go out in public again very soon.

"Do you see anyone from the south?" Jasper asked.

"Not really," Charlotte said. "We may run into a fellow escapee once or twice more south then here, but there aren't many."

"No," Jasper agreed. "If you see Maria again, tell her I wish her well."

"I don't imagine that will happen soon," Peter replied with a quick laugh, "But, should it happen, I certainly will."

We got up and began saying the more final goodbyes, shaking hands and Alice giving them hugs. Edward stopped playing and stood up.

"Peter, Charlotte," he said with a nod.

"It was nice to see you again Edward," Charlotte said politely. Peter simply returned Edward's nod. They soon left, Jasper seeing them out. Edward was impatient until finally he left once more without an explanation. He took his car this time.

Alice was the one who finally told us what Edward was doing. She saw a vision of him in Port Angeles, following Bella. And then she saw one of him rescuing Bella from the gang and the dinner at the restaurant. She tried to call him, but Edward didn't answer his cell-phone. When he returned home, Alice was waiting for him on the porch and I was in my study. I could hear their conversation easily.

"Carlisle's in his study," she said.

"Thank you," Edward replied. Alice must've said something silently to him because after a moment he said, "Oh. Sorry. I didn't even check to see who it was. I was…busy."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry too. By the time I saw what was going to happen, you were on your way."

"It was close."

I assumed Alice apologized silently. "Don't be," Edward replied. "I know you can't catch everything. No one expects you to be omniscient, Alice."

"Thanks."

"I almost asked you out to dinner tonight—did you catch that before I changed my mind?"

"No, I missed that one, too. Wish I'd known. I would have come."

"What were you concentrating on, that you missed so much?"

Alice laughed and Edward said, "You're shameless."

"Yep," she replied.

Edward sighed. "Yes. Later." Alice must've asked another silent question.

"Sure," Edward said.

I turned my attention away from their conversation. When Alice started asking her questions silently, eavesdropping didn't make any sense. I went back to reading, or at least partially reading, until I heard Edward's footsteps on the stairs. I looked to the door as he entered.

"I heard Alice tell you where to find me," I said, smiling at my longest son.

"I need help," Edward said, almost unnecessarily. Edward really only sought me out when he needed advice or help.

"Anything Edward," I promised.

"Did Alice tell you what happened to Bella tonight?"

Almost happened, I corrected him.

"Yes, almost. I've got a dilemma, Carlisle. You see, I want…very much…to kill him." He began speaking faster. I could see the passion in his face and hear it in his voice. "So much. But I know that would be wrong, because it would be vengeance, not justice. All anger, no impartiality. Still, it can't be right to leave a serial rapist and killer wandering Port Angeles! I don't know the humans there, but I can't let someone else take Bella's place as his victim. Those other women—someone might feel about them the way I feel about Bella. Might suffer what I would have suffered if she'd been harmed. It's not right—"

I smiled. I was proud of Edward for his control. He was resisting the urge to murder the man who tried to hurt Bella tonight. Edward looked puzzled. She'd very good for you, isn't she? So much compassion, so much control. I'm impressed.

"I'm not looking for compliments, Carlisle," Edward replied.

"Of course not. But I can't help my thoughts, can I?" I said. I couldn't help smiling again. "I'll take care of it. You can rest easy. No one else will be harmed in Bella's place." Edward was right. To know a serial rapist and murder and not do anything about it would be allowing the crime and injustice. It was just as bad as actually doing the act. We would sedate him and leave him near the police station, not in Washington. That would keep the suspicion from us. That was the right way to do this.

"I'll show you where to find him," Edward offered.

"Let's go." I picked up my black bag. In it I had some sedatives, some pain relievers, and medical supplies; everything I might need in an emergency. When we left, Alice was still sitting on the steps. She smiled and waved as we got in Edward's car and drove away.

Edward drove without the headlights, completely crushing the speed limit. My thoughts turned to Bella. I didn't foresee that she would be so good for him. That's unexpected. I had thought it would be better for Edward to stay away from Bella after the accident. But perhaps that wasn't so. Perhaps this was somehow meant to be. Perhaps it serves a higher purpose. Only… My mind drew up an image of Bella, but as she would look as one of us. I flinched away from the image though. Bella wasn't dying. She didn't need to forfeit her life. But, Edward deserves happiness. He's owed it. There must be a way. I believed this whole-heartedly.

Edward drove me to where the murderer was drinking with his friends. It was hard for Edward to be near this man when he harbored such hatred towards him for what he wanted to do to Bella. He gripped the steering wheel.

Go, Edward, I told him gently. I'll make the rest of them safe. You go back to Bella.

Edward listened to me and left running back towards Forks through the forest. I was left to deal with the murderer and his friends.

Lonnie, the murderer, was already drunk and half passed out to begin with. Two of his friends were already fast asleep. I came up behind him subtly and gave him just a bit more. He collapsed, unconscious. The bartender looked over, disgusted.

"I'll take him home," I said. "He's an old friend of mine. This wouldn't be the first time. Actually, if you help me, I'll get his friends home too."

The bartender seemed happy to get the three of them out of his place. He carried one of the friends out to Edward's car and shoved him in the back seat while I handled Lonnie. I went back in and grabbed the other friend and put him in the back seat with the first. I gave a nod to the bartender and drove off. My first stop was to drop Lonnie's two friends at an alcoholics' clinic. I left them in the care unit where they would be monitored until they sobered up. Then I drove Lonnie himself south. I would leave him in Portland, away from Forks, Port Angeles, and my family.

Lonnie didn't even move during the ride down to Portland. I left him in an alley only a few yards from the front door of the Portland police station. They'd find him in the morning and he'd be brought to justice. And most importantly, the people would be one killer safer.


	29. Chapter 29: Trust

**A/N: Hey guys! Boy is this a treat for you! It's a twofur! This is my Easter present to all you readers out there who celebrate it. And to all the rest of you who don't, it's my belated/early birthday present! Happy Easter/Birthday! Read, Review, and Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 29: Trust_

The next day Edward left by himself and Rosalie drove the others in her BMW. I would've preferred they not draw that sort of attention, but Emmett's Jeep was currently being worked on by Rosalie. It wasn't in commission. Rosalie acted annoyed at Edward for leaving them, but we all knew she relished the thought of being able to show off her flashy car. That was how Rosalie was.

Everything seemed to be going alright. Nobody came to me at the hospital annoyed, terrified, worried, or infuriated. I got through all my rounds and even got to let three patients return home. I thought I'd be going home to as normal a night as a family of vampires could have. But I was wrong again.

I arrived home to all out shouting on Rosalie's part. Esme met me on the porch. "Edward told Bella about us," she explained. "And Bella is now Edward's girlfriend."

"That was fast," I commented dryly, pausing before the door.

"Rosalie is obviously furious," Esme said. "Emmett's trying to calm her down. Edward's not home yet."

"It doesn't sound like Emmett is succeeding."

"Rosalie hasn't broken anything yet," Esme replied.

"That's good." I opened the door and the screaming cut off just long enough for me to say, "It's me," and then started right back up again.

"IRRESPONSIBLE JACKASS!" Rosalie was spewing off curses left and right. Emmett was standing as close as he could get, ready to stop her from doing something she might regret later. Jasper and Alice sat on the couch, watching the mayhem. I hung my coat up and set my bag on the table. Esme was right behind me. Sighing, I rolled up my sleeves and braced myself for a new wave of profanities as I entered the living room.

"CARLISLE! HE TOLD HER. THE SON OF A BITCH TOLD HER! HE TOLD HER EVERYTHING!" Rosalie ranted on and on. I let her go for a moment, until she started bringing the Lord into this. Then I cut her off.

"Rosalie," I said calmly. She looked back at me. "Do you think it might be best to wait until Edward comes home and then we can discuss this like adults?"

Rosalie scowled and Emmett snorted. "I think he can hear her even if he's in Saskatchewan," Emmett joked. Esme gave him a "You're not helping" look.

"Fine, but when he comes home, it's open season on his ass," Rosalie growled. She stomped off upstairs. Emmett grudgingly followed her.

"Alice," I said, turning to my clairvoyant daughter. "Please explain exactly what happened."

"Well," Alice began, "Last night, Bella and Edward had dinner, well really Bella had dinner. They got to talking about Bella's 'theories' about what happened during the accident. Bella guess correct. She'd heard an old Quileute legend from Jacob Black, one of Ephraim's descendants, and he'd mentioned us." She laughed. "It's funny that the wolves would be the ones to violate the treaty, don't you think?"

"Just keep going Alice," I sighed. "How did Rosalie find out?"

"Well this morning, Edward showed up with Bella and they kind of let it be known that they were a couple. That made Rose really angry. Then at lunch they were talking. Even though Bella was whispering, you know we could hear. Rose could tell that Bella knew too much and she concluded that Edward had told Bella. But she couldn't freak out there, at the school. So she waited until she got home. Aren't you proud of her?" Alice added, smiling.

If vampires could get headaches, I would have had one. As it was I sighed and rubbed my temples out of habit more than necessity. "Where's Edward now?"

"He dropped Bella off, but I think he doesn't want to come home just yet. He's scared."

She looked away and I knew she was having a vision. Jasper tensed intent on Alice. But her vision didn't last long. "Oh, scratch that, he's almost home."

Rosalie must've been listening because she came back downstairs, he heels clicking softly on the stairs. Emmett was again, right behind her. We all waited and listened. Eventually we heard Edward's car pull into the driveway. He parked and walked towards the kitchen door at the slow, human speed. Rosalie tapped her foot against the floor impatiently. Edward finally walked in the kitchen door. I could practically feel Rosalie's temper flaring. I looked over at Jasper and motioned for him to come over. He got up and silently crossed the room to stand next to me.

"Try to keep things calm," I whispered so low I was positive only Jasper and I could hear it. "We don't need Chief Swan coming over for a domestic dispute."

Jasper nodded his understanding and returned to Alice. As he sat down, I felt calm start seeping into me. I assumed the same was happening to everyone else, particularly Rosalie. Though, Jasper might have to use a tsunami of tranquility on Rosalie, rather then a little trickle.

Edward came in as Jasper's calm was taking effect.

"Edward," I said. "You owe us an explanation."

"I know, Carlisle," Edward replied. "I'm deeply sorry I didn't tell you all last night."

"Last night?!" Rosalie growled. "You shouldn't have told her!" I looked over at Jasper. He seemed to be having some difficulty with Rosalie.

"She guessed correctly," Edward said simply.

"So that makes it right?! You're a selfish, irresponsible bastard!"

"Rosalie!" I said sharply.

"No Carlisle! I said this the first time, the Swan girl is a danger to us all! She should've been handled then! Now she knows our secret. If she talks, it will ruin us all!"

"She won't say anything," Edward insisted. "She didn't say anything about the accident."

"That's true," I commented. "Bella has been trustworthy thus far. I see no reason to start believing she would tell anyone about us." I turned towards Edward. "Though I do wish you'd talked to us about this first."

"I know I should have, Carlisle," Edward replied. "I betrayed your trust, for that I am sorry."

"Trust!" Rosalie laughed bitterly. "This is beyond trust. This is about survival now, and keeping the cover. You've completely destroyed trust."

"I am sorry—"

"No Edward. I'm not taking that 'Sorry' shit anymore. You told her about us, and now you've gone public! The whole family will be implicated if you loose control now! Our future depends on Edward's self-control." Rosalie genuinely snarled and crouched forward. I looked to Jasper again. He seemed to be concentrating exceedingly hard. Rosalie must be ten times angrier then she was exhibiting. Emmett grabbed her hand automatically.

"Rosalie," Esme soothed, "Bella has been trustworthy. And Edward has been controlling himself for longer then any of us, except for Carlisle. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

Rosalie looked to Esme and her expression softened. She wasn't angry at her adopted mother. She straightened up, still looking at Esme. My angel took Rosalie by the shoulders, even though she was taller then her, and gently led her away. The rest of us watched in awe as Esme did what none of us could. She calmed Rosalie. I was only reaffirmed that Esme was truly an angel.

Edward turned back to me. "I'm sorry Carlisle," he said.

I sighed. "Edward…I trust your decision, but I caution you to be careful. Rosalie's words were said in anger, but she was right. If this ends badly, all of us will be implicated."

"I know," Edward replied.

I still think she is good for you, I told him silently.

"I know," Edward repeated.

Just wait a bit before you bring her home, alright?

"Okay." Edward turned and climbed the stairs, heading towards his room.


	30. Chapter 30: A Formal Introduction

A/N: Okay. In the past I've tried to stay with the books as much as possible, but I found one scene from the movie that I really like. I know there are mixed reactions from the movie, but I'm going to go ahead and use this anyway. It wasn't in the full film; this is actually part of a deleted scene titled "She Brought Him to Life". I was so bummed they didn't use this after I saw it and I can tell you, my beagle was too. I wanted to add it and I had a space where Stephenie doesn't touch on what Esme and Carlisle are doing. I figured, why couldn't they be doing what they did in the deleted scene? 

So here's the next chapter. I want to see if you guys like this scene as I put it, with some minor changes. Please give me feedback and try to forget the rest of the movie while you read this, especially if you didn't like it. Read, Review, Pass it on!

-Wish

P.S. Thanks to you guys for letting me make the revisions I needed to so that I could follow Stephenie's books as much as possible. If you didn't know I was making revisions, then just know that is was a simple change towards the end and it had to do with Alice's vision. It will be important later on. Thanks!

Chapter 30: A Formal Introduction

When Bella first became a situation, I thought it would be best for, not only Edward, but Bella and the family, if Edward stayed away from Bella. Remove the situation. I was only reassured when the car accident happened. Edward couldn't tell what Bella was thinking. He couldn't know what she would do, and that was dangerous for all of us. But Bella didn't say anything. The only rumors that came from the accident were started by bored students who were looking for some sort of entertainment.

It wasn't until that night, March 8th that I began to wonder if Bella and Edward were meant for each other. It became obvious that Edward couldn't keep away from Bella. He was compelled to protect her. Bella brought out the best in Edward. The control he exhibited with Lonnie proved that much.

The days after Edward officially began to date Bella Swan brought with them, a new Edward. He was happy. Happier than I'd ever seen him in the almost one hundred years I've known him. But he was also more in control of himself. Being with Bella tested his control over his thirst. Edward's strength grew the more time he spent with Bella; the more times he resisted her blood's call.

At the end of the week, Edward announced his intentions of bringing Bella home.

"I think it's time she finally met you all, officially," Edward added.

"Finally!" Alice squealed. She jumped up from the couch where she lounged with Jasper and rushed to Edward, hugging him. "Thank you so much! I've been seeing glimpses of something, but that you for finally making up your mind!"

"You're welcome Alice?" Edward replied, hesitant.

Rosalie huffed from her place with Emmett in the kitchen. "Don't count on my being there," she informed him. "I won't be." She got up and sauntered off at vampire pace. Emmett followed.

"Aw, c'mon Rose," we could hear him say, "Lighten up!"

"She'll come around eventually," Alice said.

"Liar," Edward accused.

Alice shrugged.

"Are you sure you want to bring her over so soon?" Esme asked. "She only found out about us a few days ago! Surely she needs some time."

"No," Edward replied. "Bella seems to be taking all of this surprisingly well. I keep waiting for her to run away in terror when I tell her something new, but she just seems to want to stick around even more."

That's interesting, I thought.

"More like suicidal," Edward corrected.

You don't give yourself enough credit, Edward.

"You have too much faith in me," Edward countered.

"Perhaps," I replied. "But I don't think so. I think you deserve so much more."

Edward came back only to change the next morning and then left again to return to Bella. It was Sunday. Before being changed, I'd attended mass with my father every Sunday, diligently, faithfully. Afterwards, I had still tried to attend mass, but over the years my faith began to change. Three hundred years later, I marked my Sundays by a period of reflection and prayer. Sometimes Esme would join me, but most of the time I was alone. This period wasn't just for praying to God, but it was a time I set aside for thought. My thoughts drifted to my family.

Rosalie and Edward were at such odds ever since the accident. Rosalie had been willing to kill Bella to protect the family's privacy. That had, of course, been out of the question. Now Rosalie was angry with Edward, not only because he'd let Bella live, but because he'd then told Bella the whole truth. And he'd made the public connection to her. Edward had taken away all room for error. His actions were a constant source of tension. I was having a hard time understanding why Rosalie was so angry about Bella. She'd proven her trustworthiness. Everyone else accepted Edward's decision. What was I missing that caused Rosalie's hate?

I contemplated Rosalie a bit more, until my thoughts drifted on. Alice's visions of Bella's future weren't set in stone, but they were possibilities. One possibility, mind it was growing more and more obscure but it was still present, was the possibility of Edward attacking Bella. I didn't think that would happen, especially now. Edward's control was growing exponentially. The other possibility was of Bella, changed. Edward was determined not to let this one come true. It would be the easiest, for the entire family, but Edward didn't want it. He didn't want Bella to be a vampire. I honestly wasn't sure what my view was. Bella was new. What I knew of her had come from the brief interview I had in the emergency room after the accident. There had been other things on my mind at the time. I would have to get to know her better before I could decide whether changing Bella would be a good thing.

Alice's visions were beginning to get more complicated. She wasn't just having visions of Bella. After Edward had left the night before, she'd had a vision of a group of nomads who would be in town within the fortnight. They knew we were here and they were curious, she said, about how we could live in such a large group. It was unnatural for our kind to have more than four in a coven. The complicated part was that they didn't share our life choice. They drank human blood. That put everyone in town in trouble, but Bella especially. Edward's scent must be all around her and her home. If the nomads went into town, they would wonder why Edward's scent was so strong at that particular house. It could be extremely dangerous. Edward would need to know as soon as he returned.

My attention was drawn to the sound of Edward's Volvo turning off the highway. He was back. And he had someone with him. There was a soft knock on the door of my office and Esme opened it.

"I was just about to come down," I told her. I stood up from my chair and left the office, offering her my arm. Esme took it gently and we walked down the stairs as Edward parked his Volvo. He turned off the engine as we took places next to the piano. Esme all but thrummed with excitement as the door handle turned and Edward pushed it open. He gestured Bella through.

The human scent hit me almost immediately. Bella's was sweet and flowery, like freesias. It was different now, not mixed in with the smell of chemicals from the hospital. It was more natural. Bella looked around, taking in the view of the house first. She looked surprised. I must admit, our home is not like the typical vampire lair from movies. I smiled as her attention turned in our direction, but I didn't make any move to approach her. Edward had said Bella was taking everything surprisingly well, but there was no need to push her. Humans are delicate creatures. Being a vampire makes you realize just how so.

"Carlisle, Esme," Edward addressed us, "this is Bella."

"You are very welcome, Bella," I said gently. I took a careful step forward, trying to read her expression. I reached my hand out tentatively when Bella didn't seem scared or startled. She stepped forward and shook it.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen," she said politely.

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle," she repeated, smiling. Edward looked relieved.

Esme took my success as the signal it was alright for her. She stepped forward and reached for Bella's hand, saying, "It's very nice to know you."

"Thank you," Bella replied. "I'm glad to meet you, too." She seemed sincere.

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Edward asked.

Alice and Jasper appeared at just the right time at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, Edward!" Alice called. She raced down the stairs, much too fast, and came to a halt right in front of Bella. I gave her a warning look, attempting to remind her that Bella was new to everything. But Bella didn't seem at all disturbed by Alice's obvious display of vampire speed.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice greeted enthusiastically. She bounced forward, her usual self, and kissed Bella on the cheek like a good friend. I was shocked and on edge. We were being careful with Bella, and Alice had completely ignored everything. Edward stiffened. "You do smell nice, I never noticed before," Alice commented.

Everyone was awkwardly speechless after Alice's greeting. A wave of calm washed over us from Jasper. "Hello, Bella," he said from where he stood, a safe distance away. Jasper was being safe. He wasn't as good at controlling his thirst and he was being responsible about it.

"Hello, Jasper," Bella replied, shy. She turned back to the rest of us. "It's so nice to meet you all—you have a very beautiful home."

"Thank you," Esme replied. "We're so glad that you came."

As Bella looked around, I turned my attention to Edward. Alice had a vision while you were out. There are going to be others of our kind in the area in the next few weeks. I don't know if you want to tell Bella or not, but I think it would be best.

Edward nodded his understanding and I saw Bella look away quickly. She'd caught the exchange, though she didn't know what it was about. She looked around more, her attention eventually falling to the piano.

"Do you play?" Esme asked, seeing the source of Bella's attention.

Bella shook her head. "Not at all. But it's so beautiful. Is it yours?"

"No," Esme laughed. "Edward didn't tell you he was musical?"

"No," Bella replied. She shot a glare at Edward who had suddenly looked innocent. "I should have known, I guess."

Esme gave her a confused look.

"Edward can do everything, right?" Bella clarified.

Jasper laughed and Esme gave Edward a scolding look. "I hope you haven't been showing off—it's rude," she said.

"Just a bit," Edward laughed.

"He's being too modest, actually," Bella said.

"Well, play for her," Esme prompted.

"You just said showing off was rude," Edward countered.

"There are exceptions to every rule."

"I'd like to hear you play," Bella added.

"It's settled then," Esme finished. She nudged him towards the piano.

Edward sat down with Bella and the rest of us began to back off and give them some privacy as he played.

Esme and I retreated to the kitchen. We could easily hear Edward's music as he played the song he wrote for Esme. My angel closed her eyes and listened to the complex melody that described everything about her. Her beauty, her caring, and above all, her love. I wrapped my arms around her waist and listened with her.

"She's brought him to life," Esme said softly. "I haven't seen him so happy in a long time."

"He's been alone for too long," I agreed. But underlying misgivings broke through. "But how will it end? Alice—"

Esme reached up and pressed her finger to my lips, silencing me. "Alice has been wrong before."

"Not often," I interjected around her finger.

Esme sighed and, placing her hands over mine at her waist, pushed me back. She didn't use a lot of force, but it was more than a human could have handled.

"Carlisle, he loves her. Some how, everything will work out."

I chuckled and leaned down so my face was barely inches from hers. "You are a hopeless romantic!" I accused her. I kissed her, gently first, but then a bit more passionately. Esme broke away when her song came to an end.

"Be good," she scolded. "We have a guest."

"Our first human guest since Chief Swan paid us a visit when we first moved in," I commented, "Like father like daughter?"

"Perhaps," Esme replied. She stepped back, albeit, reluctantly. "I'm going to see if I can help Emmett with Rosalie."

I nodded. "Good luck. I'll be in my office." I watched her leave out the back door before I silently made my way up to my office. I heard Bella's and Edward's conversation over the softer melody he was playing. I recognized it as one of his newer compositions. A lullaby.


	31. Chapter 31: Our Story

**A/N: I'm on a role! Four chapters within the last week! Boo-ya!**

**This is a set up so it's not really very action filled, but we're coming up on all the cool stuff. I'm not going to make any promises because I'm going to have two major research papers to work on before the end of the school year, both over 10 pages! But I'm also not saying I'm going to stop updating. I guess we'll just have to see.**

**Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Read, REVIEW (Pretty Please with flying monkeys!), and Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 31: Our Story_

I was reading when I heard Bella and Edward again. They were coming up the stairway. Edward was describing each of the rooms they passed as if he were reading them off a list. "Rosalie and Emmett's room…Carlisle's office…Alice's room…" they passed the door to my office, but I still listened. I was curious about Bella. I was curious about her relationship with Edward. I am not proud of my eavesdropping, but I will admit to it.

I heard Edward laugh. "You can laugh," he said to Bella, "It is sort of ironic."

I mentally ran through the list of things out in the hallway they could be talking about.

"It must be very old," Bella commented. I knew what she was talking about instantly. And then I understood Edward's prior comment. Bella had found my father's cross. It was one of the few constants between houses. It was ironic, to find a cross in the house of a vampire. But there were a lot of irony about our residence. For instance, the spaciousness and the openness of everything. Esme had insisted on it.

"Early sixteen-thirties, more or less," Edward was saying.

"Why do you keep this here?" Bella asked.

"Nostalgia. It belonged to Carlisle's father."

"He collected antiques?" Bella guessed.

I guess I would be an antique then, I thought to myself. I wasn't sure if Edward could hear, but probably.

"No. He carved this himself. It hung on the wall above the pulpit in the vicarage where he preached."

There was a moment of silence. Bella must've been shocked at its age, and what it suggested about my age.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked. He was worried about Bella. Had something happened?

"How old is Carlisle?" Bella asked simply. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday," Edward said, wryly. He launched into a brief history of my youth and the circumstances of my vampire birth. I didn't listen to this part. I knew it perfectly. I had experienced it. My attention was only drawn back to Edward's voice when he broke off from his tale.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Bella replied.

"I expect you have a few more questions for me."

"A few," Bella admitted.

"Come on then, I'll show you." I heard their footsteps come back down the hallway towards my office. Edward paused just outside the door.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened revealing Edward with Bella in tow. I picked up my bookmark and placed it in the book. I hadn't done much reading anyway.

"What can I do for you?" I asked, getting up and trying to sound inviting. Bella looked at me with new eyes.

"I wanted to show Bella some of our history," Edward said. "Well, your history, actually," He corrected himself.

"We didn't mean to disturb you," Bella added, apologetically.

"Not at all," I insisted. "Where are you going to start?"

"The Waggoner," Edward said, referring to one of the pictures that hung on the wall behind them. I had collected so many by now, and none were the same, or even similar. Some were painted, some were black and white photographs, some were taken just as color photos became available to the public, and some were even digital, printed off the computer on photo paper. Edward spun Bella around to face them. I heard a noticeable increase in her pulse as Edward laid his hand on her shoulder. It seemed Bella loved Edward possibly just as much as Edward loved her. Interesting.

Edward steered her to the left where the older pictures hung. The oldest was a small oil painting of London. I followed them, standing just a few feet back.

"London in the sixteen-fifties," Edward told her.

"The London of my youth," I added. Bella jumped.

"Will you tell the story?" Edward asked me. Bella turned to look at me. I met her gaze and smiled warmly.

"I would," I said, "But I'm actually running a bit late," I admitted. "The hospital called this morning—Dr. Snow is taking a sick day. Besides, you know the stories as well as I do." I'd told Edward all the stories up to the time he joined the family, and then he'd experienced the rest. If anyone knew my story, it was Edward.

I smiled again at them and left, closing the office door behind me silently. I really did have to get going. I would have gladly told Bella my story, but it was a long one and I really did need to get going. I had to work a shift today, even though it was Sunday and supposed to be my day off.

I changed in Esme's and my room. When I passed the door to my office again it was open. Apparently it didn't take as long a time to relate over three hundred years of activity then I thought it did. Edward must've given her the abbreviated version. I grabbed my black bag from my office and closed the door again on the way out.

Alice and Jasper stopped me as I descended the stairs. She and Jasper came down from the direction of Edward's room. They must've been talking with him and Bella. "There's going to be a thunderstorm tonight," Alice informed me. "Emmett wants to play ball."

It'd been a while since we'd played baseball. The last storm that'd come through Forks had been when Peter and Charlotte were there. We'd played football then. It was their favorite game. But our game of choice was baseball."

"I should be home in time, if some emergency doesn't happen while I'm there. Are Rosalie and Emmett back?"

"They're in the garage." Esme came in from the back door. I assumed that was where she'd been, with Emmett and Rosalie in the garage. "You know how Rose likes to tinker."

I gave her a quick kiss. "I shouldn't be home too late." I looked back at Alice and Jasper. "Count me in."

"Already did!" Alice replied smugly.

"Told you," Jasper muttered, picking her up and carrying her off. I looked back down at Esme and laughed. She just shrugged.

"I'll see you tonight," I said, giving her another quick peck on the cheek as I passed her. I left the house and walked to my Mercedes in the garage. Emmett was sitting on the floor, holding up the back tire of Edward's Volvo. Rosalie's feet were visible from under the car.

"I hope you're not sabotaging his car," I called to them.

"It'll still run," Rosalie protested. "It'll just stall if he goes above 100."

I sighed as I tossed my bag onto the passenger's seat of my Mercedes. "Rosalie," I said warningly, "you should know better than to tweak other people's cars without their knowledge."

"You really think Edward won't figure it out?" Emmett said sarcastically. "He probably knows already."

Rosalie slid out from under the car, "Besides, I guess I'll just have to take back that extra 20 mph I gave your car, if that's how you feel."

I looked back at my sleek, black vehicle. I wouldn't mind going a little faster.

"I'll let you decide what's right," I informed them. "Esme and I have tried to give you all the proper values, but it's up to you to use them." I slid into the driver's seat and shut the door.

I heard an exasperated sigh as I started the engine followed by Emmett saying, "I hate it when he plays the guilt card." I chuckled to myself as I backed out of the driveway and onto the highway, headed for the hospital. The guilt card worked every time.

The entire time I was at the hospital, my mind was only half on my work. For a regular doctor, this could be extremely dangerous. But I didn't need to have my full attention on my work. It was easy enough for me, and my mind didn't work the same as a human's. I could afford to think about other things, such as the upcoming game that night. I wasn't sure if Edward was bringing Bella or not. I didn't think to ask before I left. Most likely. Edward wouldn't want to leave Bella alone, and baseball wouldn't be dangerous for her. Well it may be, with Bella's luck.

"You're working again, Dr. Cullen?" Brett, an EMT and registered nurse, asked. He'd been on the scene during the car accident. It'd been Edward's acquaintance with Brett that had kept him off the back-board. Otherwise he might've been unable to come tell me Bella had been in an accident and his involvement. Brett seemed to genuinely like Edward.

"Dr. Snow called out sick," I replied, scribbling a note on a patient's clipboard. Brett worked to change the IV of another patient in the next bed over.

"That's ironic!" He laughed. "The doctor's sick this time." He laughed again.

"I guess it is," I replied with a chuckle.

"How are Edward and everyone doing?"

"They're good," I replied.

"I heard your boy started dating the Swan girl after the accident. I guess saving a girl's life earns brownie points, huh? Not that Edward needs any brownie points."

"Yes, Bella's a very nice girl." I moved on to check the patient's chart Brett was working at. The patient, an older gentleman, was sleeping peacefully after suffering a fall and breaking his hip. We were monitoring him carefully for signs of complications, like pneumonia.

"I figure he brought her home already, right? That boy of yours has some good manners. You and Esme must've done something right."

"We try. And yes, she was just over earlier today. I believe she's going to play baseball with us later on."

"Baseball? I didn't take you for an athlete, Dr. Cullen."

I laughed. "Well, Brett," I said, looking up from the chart, "It is the American Pastime. Also it's a bit of a family tradition."

"Well…" Brett finished off with the IV and sighed, checking his work, "I hope you all have fun. If you ever need an extra player, I played some ball in college. I'm always up for a game."

I smiled to myself. The thought of Brett, trying to play with us was comical. He'd be blown away at the first pitch! "I'll keep that in mind," I promised him, trying to be polite. "I think Mr. Fischer over there can be discharged by the end of the week," I told him, gesturing back to the last patient.

"I'll put in the paperwork," Brett promised. "Good talking to you, Dr. Cullen."

"It was good talking to you too, Brett," I replied.


	32. Chapter 32: The American Pastime

**A/N: Here it is, Chapter 32, the game! I hope you enjoy it and don't forget, Read, Review, and Pass it On!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 32: The American Pastime_

I hurried home after my shift, excited for the game. Since talking to Brett, I'd been waiting anxiously for the time to come when I could go home. I wasn't usually restless for the end of my shift like that. I tended to enjoy my work. The storm clouds that rolled in, tall, dark, and menacing, hadn't helped either. They looked ready to burst as I pulled into the garage. Rosalie and Emmett had gone, most likely because Bella had gone home again. Her smell still lingered around the house, but it wasn't strong like it'd been when she was there. Edward's Volvo was in the garage, so I assumed he was home again from dropping her off.

I hit the back door and my assumption was confirmed immediately. Edward met me at the door, tense. "The Quileutes are involved," he said. "Two of them were waiting for Charlie to get home. Billy and Jacob Black." He emphasized their last name as if I needed to be reminded of their connection to the Quileutes we ran into the last time we were on the Olympic Peninsula. We'd made the treaty with Ephraim Black and his pack of wolves.

"They were meddling," Edward continued. His voice was becoming gruffer, almost a growl. "They were going to warn Charlie. They wanted him to keep Bella away from me."

"Edward," I said firmly. I placed a hand on his shoulder. Calm down. What did you do?

"Bella dealt with them," Edward replied. He seemed proud. "She told them it wasn't their business."

"Then we'll trust that they'll heed Bella's wishes," I said simply.

"But—"

"Is Bella coming to the game?" I asked, cutting him off.

"Yes," He replied. "I'm about to go pick her up. I'll take Emmett's Jeep. She doesn't like running so much."

"Then it sounds like a good idea to take the Jeep." And make sure you check your car. Rose and Emmett were tweaking it earlier. I told them to stop, but I'm not sure if they fixed it.

"I'll check," Edward muttered low and quick. He grabbed his rain jacket from the hook near the door and Emmett's keys before exiting through the door I'd just come in.

"Esme, I'm home," I said. She heard me easily from upstairs and was in my arms in seconds.

"Everything okay at the hospital?" she asked.

"Fine," I replied. "How about here?"

"After Edward took Bella home it was chaos. By the way, you're on Alice's team."

"Good to know," I replied. She followed me upstairs to our room.

"Bella really is a lovely girl," Esme commented as I changed out of my work clothes into something a bit more appropriate for the game. It could get really rough and the kind of clothes I wore to the hospital just wouldn't hold up for very long. "Edward is very lucky."

"I'm not so sure it's luck," I admitted. "Almost ninety years, he hasn't found anyone special, until now. I'm beginning to think it was destined!"

Esme gasped mockingly. "Carlisle, the scientific, medical doctor, believing in…fate? I'm shocked!"

I scooped her up and hugged her close to my chest. She laughed her perfect, musical laugh as she wound her arms around my neck. "Three hundred and sixty-two years, I think I'm allowed to change a few of my views, huh?"

"Old man," Esme accused coyly.

I scoffed, acting indignant. "I'm insulted! I'm not an 'old man'!"

"Oh really?" Esme replied, giving me a captivated look.

"No. I'm an antique!" I gently set her feet on the floor but held onto her. "Besides, you're almost one hundred and four. And you call me old," I teased.

Esme gasped and slapped me on the shoulder. "Carlisle Cullen, if I wasn't in love with you I might have had to teach you a lesson!" She turned to go muttering, "Call me old."

I slipped around her quickly, closing the door silently with my back. Esme protested, but I only stared down into her topaz eyes, smiling. I didn't say a word.

"Fine," she sighed. "I forgive you."

"That's all I ask," I replied. I leaned down and kissed her before opening the door behind me. "Shall we?" I asked, offering her my arm. She giggled and took it and we descended the stairs to where the rest of our family waited, minus Edward.

"You two lovebirds finally ready?" Emmett asked. "Or should we come back in—"

"Let's go," I interrupted him.

He rolled his eyes and picked up the bag that waited by the door. It held a couple of aluminum bats, a few balls, and a set of bases. Emmett led the way out the door, followed by Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper, with Esme and I bringing up the rear. I locked the house door behind me. It wouldn't stop another vampire if they wanted to get in, but it might deter a human. Not that there was a lot of crime in Forks to begin with.

Emmett led the way around the back of the house. We never left towards the road when we were intending to run anywhere. There was too much risk of someone inadvertently seeing us from the highway.

We ran through the forest at our normal pace. It was exhilarating to let loose. Doing everything in slow motion was frustrating. Esme ran next to me, Rosalie in front of me. Alice had taken the lead from Emmett with Jasper. We darted through the trees and foliage easily, with agility and grace. Esme's feet looked like they barely brushed the forest floor with each step. Our destination was Rainer field again. There, we'd played football with Peter and Charlotte. It seemed like such a long time ago, even though it hadn't even been a week ago. It was odd feeling time as being long. It amused me that after living over three hundred years, but I was still capable of having a "long week".

We arrived at the field before Edward and Bella. Emmett dumped the bag next to an outcropping of rocks and surveyed the field. The mountains that rose up around it were dark against the coming weather. Alice opened the bag and took out a bat, ball, and the four bases. I took the bases from her and jogged out to the field. There were still marks from previous games of ours. Some of our slides left deep impressions in the ground. As I paced out the bases I tried to fill in some of the holes, but there were a lot. I was pacing out second base when I caught Bella's scent enter the field. I looked up to see her and Edward just walking out from the trees. I looked to the rocks where I'd left Emmett, Esme, and Rosalie. Esme had gotten up and was heading towards Bella and Edward. Rosalie had, simultaneously, begun heading in the opposite direction, away from Bella. She still held a grudge. Emmett looked torn between his wife and his desire to really meet Bella. In the end, Bella won out. He followed Esme towards the two figures at the tree line.

I placed third and counted paces back to home to make sure everything was even. It was perfect. I finished just as I heard Alice. "It's time," she announced just as the first bolt of lightning flashed over the town below and thunder rolled over the field, echoing off the mountains, towards town.

Alice and Emmett began to make their way out to the field. Jasper waited at home with Rosalie. He handed me the bat. Edward was just behind Alice and Emmett and eventually passed them. They all came to a halt at home plate. Looking around the impromptu circle we'd formed, I saw the same eagerness and excitement I felt echoed in each of their faces.

"Okay," Alice said. "Edward and Carlisle are on my team."

"And Rose and Jasper are on mine," Emmett added. He and Alice shook hands.

"Okay," I said. "Rose." I tossed the bat up and Rosalie's hand snapped out and caught it towards the bottom. I overlapped my hand over hers and she placed her other over mine. We went up until Rose's hand capped off the bat.

"We bat first," Emmett said.

"Fine," Alice said, tossing the ball up and down. "You better be ready for the heat big brother."

"Bring it on!" Emmett challenged.

Alice, Edward, and I jogged out into the field. Alice took up position at the pitcher's mound. Edward took the outfield. I situated myself roughly equidistant between first and second. Emmett stepped up first, swinging the bat around in a few practice swings. Bella and Esme had arrived, walking at Bella's human pace. Jasper had taken up a position as catcher.

"Alright," Esme called. "Batter up!"

Emmett took his stance at home, staring Alice down. Alice's pitching was deceptive. She didn't move a lot. She barely had a wind up, but she was an excellent pitcher. Bella watched from behind Jasper with Esme, her eyes never leaving Alice until the ball flew past Emmett, into Jasper's hands.

"Was that a strike?" she asked Esme.

"If they don't hit it, it's a strike," Esme replied.

Alice pitched again and this time Emmett connected with the ball. It soared up, over our heads towards the trees. I followed Emmett around the bases, ready to tag him out when Edward got the ball.

"Out!" Esme shouted. I looked back to see Edward running out from the trees, ball in hand.

"Emmett hits the hardest," Esme told Bella, "but Edward runs the fastest."

Rosalie was up next. She managed to hit the ball on the third try, another long ball for Edward to catch. Two outs with Jasper up to bat. He smashed the ball along the ground to keep Edward from catching it. I scooped up that ball and sprinted towards first to tag it before Jasper did. We were almost even and arrived at first with a resounding crash that caused Bella to jump, concern written across her face.

"Safe," Esme declared. Jasper's hand had brushed the base the split second before I'd collided with him. We'd ended up a few feet from the base, thanks to our combined momentums. I helped Jasper up and gave him a nod before throwing the ball back to Alice. Neither of us was hurt. The collision had been all noise.

Rosalie managed to score on one of Emmett's long balls before Edward was finally able to catch the third out. We switched fields.

"What do you think?" Edward asked Bella when it was our turn to bat.

"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again," Bella replied.

"And it sounds like you did so much of that before." Edward laughed.

"I am a little disappointed," Bella said.

"Why?"

"Well, it would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn't do better than everyone else on the planet."

"I'm up," he told her. Edward grabbed the bat and strode to home. Edward smacked the ball low, finding the hole between Emmett's in-fielding and Rosalie in the outfield. He made it to second. Then it was my turn. I stepped up to the base as Jasper got the ball back from Emmett.

"Move it in!" Emmett called, gesturing as if he had a whole team behind him instead of just Rosalie.

I laughed and pointed with the bat right down the middle of the field. "Let's see what you've got," I called. Jasper wound up and threw a fastball right down the middle. I swung and connected firmly, hitting the ball right out of the field. I sprinted around the bases, meeting Edward at home. We were winning now. Alice gave us both a high five.

Alice got tagged out at first on a quick field play by Emmett and Rosalie caught both Edward's and my hits. We changed fields again.

Emmett and Jasper were each able to score a run, putting their team up again. As the game progressed, the trash talking started getting personal. Esme would occasionally call for order if things got out of hand.

"Try this on for size!" Alice shouted to Emmett. She sent him a tricky slider that was almost in the dirt by the time it got back to Jasper.

"C'mon shrimp!" Emmett growled. "Let's see a real pitch!"

Alice threw a fiery fastball that actually made Jasper flinch as he caught it, striking Emmett out.

"You're out 'monkey man'," Alice called; using a pet name Rosalie had given him. She gave him a little wave and a smile as Emmett stalked back behind the plate, muttering.


	33. Chapter 33: The Nomads

**A/N: Ugh! I had to get three shots today! I hate shots…though I don't think I'd mind so much if **_**Dr. Cullen**_** were giving them to me! Except I had this old nurse who stuck me on TWO! You're supposed to wait til THREE!**

**Anyway, I got my rant out of the way, here's the next chapter. Promise 34 is going to be action-packed, it just might take me longer so don't expect anything until the end of May.**

**Thanks to my faithful readers, I'll try not to let you down! Read, Review, and Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

**P.S. Seriously, Review.**

_Chapter 33: The Nomads_

The heckling went on as the score remained close. Our team was at bat and it was my turn. Edward was crouched a few yards back, catching. I was about to swing when I heard Alice gasp. I turned my head back to look at her as the ball whistled right by. Edward only caught it because he had been in position for it. His own head snapped up to Alice and for an instant, everything was completely silent. Then Edward was gone, at Bella's side before Alice could say anything.

"Alice?" Esme asked. She was on edge. We all knew that face. Alice had seen something big. Something that was a possible threat.

"I didn't see—I couldn't tell." Alice whispered, shocked.

The others had run in from the outfield.

"What is it, Alice?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

"They were travelling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before," Alice muttered.

Jasper leaned in closer to his wife as if he was going to protect her. "What changed?" he asked carefully.

"They heard us playing, and it changed their path," Alice replied.

I glanced towards Bella. I saw the others do the same. We all knew. With Bella there, this could get dangerous really quick.

"How soon?" I asked Edward.

"Less than five minutes," he replied. "They're running—they want to play." He frowned.

"Can you make it?" I asked, looking towards Bella.

"No, not carrying—"Edward cut off. "Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting."

"How many?" Emmett asked, turning to Alice.

"Three," she replied.

Emmett jeered. "Three! Let them come."

I tried to figure out what would be our best course of action. Edward was right, the last thing we needed them to do was begin to hunt. But we also didn't need to confront them. Violence wasn't necessary.

"Let's just continue the game," I suggested. I tried to keep my voice cool and calm, a model for behavior. "Alice said they were simply curious."

"Are they thirsty, Edward?" Esme asked low and quickly. Bella didn't seem to understand what she said, based on her puzzled look.

Edward shook his head slightly. No. That was a stroke of luck.

"You catch, Esme," Edward suggested. "I'll call it now."

Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper returned to the field, looking over the forest.

"Take your hair down," Edward told Bella. She hurried to obey. Edward tried to arrange it around her neck to muffle the scent.

"The others are coming now," Bella said. So Edward had told her about Alice's vision.

"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please," Edward told her. He was trying to keep his stress under control and was failing more than usual.

"That won't help," Alice warned. "I could smell her across the field."

"I know," Edward replied, frustrated.

I took the bat again and stepped up to the plate. The game was cautious now. We kept the hits in the infield and were always on the look out.

The first warning was the break in Edward's apologies to Bella, followed by the hiss and the step he took to put himself in front of Bella.

The rest of us turned a tenth of a second later as we heard the approach of the company. Alice had been right on. There were three of them, and they were moving fast. The first one out into the field halted long enough for the second, dark-haired vampire to take the lead. The final one into the clearing was a female with a mane of fiery, red hair. They converged on each other as they caught sight of our family. The dark-haired male was obviously the leader. His skin was darker, more olive-toned. He smiled easily as he approached.

I stepped forward with Emmett and Jasper to meet them. They were obviously nomads by their rugged, frayed clothing and their bare feet. The stood up straighter as we approached.

"We thought we heard a game," the leader said. His speech was tinted with a slight French lilt. "I'm Laurent, and these are Victoria and James."

"I'm Carlisle," I replied. "This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella." I kept my motions vague, not drawing attention to anyone other than myself.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent inquired.

"Actually, we were just finishing up," I told him, keeping my tone light like Laurent's. "But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?"

"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves," I added.

I felt a casual calm descend over the group. I thanked God again for a son like Jasper.

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent asked casually.

I knew what he meant. But I ignored his assumption and answered as truthfully as I could. "The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."

Laurent actually looked visibly shocked. He actually rocked back slightly. "Permanent? How do you manage that?" He seemed to be genuinely curious.

"Why don't you come home with us and we can talk comfortably?" I suggested. "It's a rather long story." And we needed to give Edward time to get Bella to safety.

Laurent accepted, "That sounds very interesting, and welcome. We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." His red, scrutinizing gaze was uncomfortable, but I held my ground.

"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand," I explained.

Laurent nodded his agreement. "Of course. We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway." His laugh at the thought of murder almost made me feel physically ill.

"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us—"I offered, "Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the Jeep." I hoped neither Laurent, nor James or Victoria would think anything of my remark. Bella and Edward needed to get away. Alice and Emmett could help. They'd have advanced warning and numbers, should one of the nomads try to go after them.

Suddenly Edward stiffened and the shorter male, James, whipped around to look at Edward. I caught Bella's scent on the wind and immediately understood. James had caught Bella's scent. James took a step forward and sunk into a crouch as Edward took up a defensive stance between the nomad and Bella. He snarled, baring his teeth. It's meaning was obvious; it was a threat.

"What's this?" Laurent demanded. He had obviously not caught Bella's scent yet. Surprise and confusion filled his expression.

"She's with us," I declared. It was a warning, directed to James. Laurent seemed to finally catch Bella's smell. Understanding dawned on his face.

"You brought a snack?" Laurent inquired, taking a step forward. Edward snarled again, louder, more ferocious. Laurent stepped back.

"I said she's with us," I corrected him. My voice was hard. I tensed forward, ready to defend my family.

"But she's human." Laurent didn't seem aggressive like James, merely astounded and perhaps intrigued still.

"Yes," I replied. Emmett had stepped up and was leaning forward, his eyes fixed on James, menacing and a bit daring. He was almost daring James to attack and see what happened.

Laurent seemed to want to defuse the situation. "It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Indeed," I replied. If Laurent didn't want a fight, I wasn't about to push one.

"But we'd like to accept your invitation." He looked quickly at Bella. "And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said."

James, who'd straightened, looked at Laurent with annoyance and frustration. The female, Victoria, who'd remained silent thus far, looked between our faces. She seemed nervous.

I looked at Laurent's careful expression, trying to see a hint of a lie in it. I couldn't ask Edward. I didn't want to draw anymore attention to him. "We'll show you the way," I said finally. "Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?"

The rest of the family closed in, blocking Bella from the nomads as Alice and Edward hustled her away. Emmett backed out warily, never looking away until they were within the trees.

"Our home is this way," I said to Laurent, gesturing in the opposite direction. It was a bit more roundabout, but it would keep clear of the town completely. I took the lead, followed by Laurent, and then James and Victoria begrudgingly. Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie had placed themselves at the back and sides of the other coven. We ran back, going through the forest and around mountains, giving Bella, Edward, Alice, and Emmett more time. It was completely dark, but that didn't matter to us.

As we put more and more distance between our group and Bella, James seemed to become more agitated. And as James became more agitated, Laurent seemed to become uneasy as well, but not in the way a leader might get annoyed his instructions were not being followed. Laurent was becoming frightened. It made me think back to the meeting at the field. James had been first into the clearing, but he'd dropped back to let Laurent take the lead, showing who was in charge. Unless, that's all it was, a show. I felt stupid. I felt like an idiot for not seeing what was blatantly obvious. Laurent didn't hold the authority. James did. That was why Laurent was cautious and why James paid little mind to what Laurent said.

Esme sped up along my side, opposite Laurent. "What are we going to do, Carlisle?" she whispered quickly. "I'm not sure we could keep James at the house."

Esme had caught James's agitation. She'd made her own inferences, but based on her question, they seemed to be in line with mine.

"We'll have to see," I replied. "We need to give Edward, Emmett, Alice, and Bella time to get away. I don't think we could keep them for long, but any lead we can give them would help."

Without warning, James stopped. Jasper skidded to a halt with him as the rest of us overshot him and had to come back.

"James?" Victoria asked.

James took a deep breath, closing his eyes and seeming to savor what he smelled. I took a breath of my own. There was a faint trace of human; we were closer to the highway now, but it wasn't enough to merit the reaction James made. I searched for something in the air that I'd missed the first time, as did Rosalie, Esme, and Laurent, but neither of them seemed to find anything more than I did.

"I think it is time we left," James told Victoria. He looked back at Laurent and nodded a steely look on his face. Victoria took his hand, watching James's face closely. Then, with even less warning than James had given earlier, they sprinted back the way we'd come. Jasper made as if to go after them, but Laurent grasped his shoulder.

"He's on the hunt," Laurent said. "You can't stop him."

"The hunt?" Esme asked.

"James is a tracker, a particularly lethal one. Once he goes on the hunt, only death can stop him." Laurent was solemn.

"Come," I told him, "You need to tell us all about James, but someplace else."

A few minutes later we arrived at the house. Just glancing around, everything seemed just as we'd left it. I couldn't tell if Edward, Emmett, or Alice had been there. I knew for sure Bella hadn't.

"You have a beautiful home," Laurent commented, looking around the enlarged living room.

"Thank you," I replied, gesturing for him to take a seat. Laurent sat down on one of the chairs in the living room.

"I am curious as to how you are able to keep such a permanent residence," Laurent admitted. "You promised to explain."

"I did," I agreed. "Obviously we are different from other covens. We don't actually feed off humans, but animals. That's why our eyes are a different color and how we are capable of living in a semi-permanent residence. We are able to remain inconspicuous because we don't look at humans as a source of food."

"You said semi-permanent?"

"The fact that our kind do not age affects how long we can stay in a location. We start as young as possible and stay until people begin to comment about our ages. Alone, I could stay for at most, ten years in one place. Together, it is more challenging. Often times we stay long enough for the kids to complete high school and then move on to college. Occasionally we may stay longer."

Laurent sighed. "I don't understand how you can deny human blood. That must be nearly impossible!"

"It is difficult," I admitted. "It takes time to develop a tolerance. But it is possible. I work as a doctor and a surgeon. I have never lost a patient to my bloodlust."

"It is unnatural," Laurent muttered. "To deny what you are—what we all are…it would be like a lion eating vegetables!"

"It is our choice. We refer to it as being 'vegetarians'."

"Carlisle," Jasper interrupted. "James."

Laurent's expression went from mild interest to worry and fear. "I am sorry," he said. "I am sorry for—"He cut off as we all heard two cars pull off the highway. One I recognized as Emmett's Jeep. But it's more familiar, low rumble was overpowered by a deafening roar of some sort of truck. It must've been Bella's. Edward had told me about the old vehicle long ago. Emmett had compared it to me and had earned a reprimand from Esme.

We all stood motionless as the cars drove up to the door. Edward preceded Alice, carrying a bag that smelled strongly of Bella. Emmett brought up the rear, clutching Bella to his chest protectively. Emmett growled when he caught sight of Laurent.

"He's tracking us," Edward said. He glared at Laurent.

He's here to warn us of James, I told Edward silently. He does not want to be involved.

Laurent looked worried. "I was afraid of that."

Alice immediately flitted to Jasper's side. She whispered low and fast into his ear. Even the rest of us vampires couldn't understand it. They disappeared upstairs. Rose joined Emmett, glaring briefly at Bella.

"What will he do?" I asked Laurent. This was serious.

"I'm sorry," Laurent said again. "I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off."

"Can you stop him?"

Laurent shook his head, solemn. "Nothing stops James when he gets started."

"Well stop him," Emmett replied.

"You can't bring him down," Laurent insisted. "I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven."

Laurent looked at Bella and back to me. He didn't seem to be able to understand why we would risk so much for one human. "Are you sure it's worth it?" he asked.

Edward's roar burst from his chest, filling the room with his rage. Laurent physically cringed back.

I gave Edward a cautionary warning. Calm. Patience. He's only trying to help. Then I turned back to Laurent. "You're going to have to make a choice," I told him. I didn't like making Laurent chose between his coven and us, but I needed to know if we would eventually have to worry about him. He seemed to understand my concern and paused a moment. He looked around at my family, and then the living room.

"I'm intrigued by the life you've created here," Laurent said carefully. "But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north—to that clan in Denali." Laurent hesitated, seemingly having more to say, but not sure if he should say it. He settled on repeating his warning. "Don't underestimate James," he warned. "He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on…I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry." Laurent bowed his head. Obviously he thought of Bella as already dead. The rest of the family he didn't seem so sure about.

"Go in peace," I told him.

Laurent took another appreciative, but wary, look around before leaving quickly.

**A/N2: And just another reminder, REVIEW!!!!!:-)**

**-Wish**


	34. Chapter 34: The Chase

**A/N: So here's the Chase chapter. It details what Edward, Emmett, and Carlisle were doing up to when Alice has her first visions and they have to come back to Forks after losing James. I hope you like it! Read, Review, Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 34: The Chase_

I turned to Edward as soon as Laurent was out the door. "How close?" I asked him.

Esme was moving to the security pad on the wall. Moving into the house, we had agreed a few modifications were in order. Everyone loved the glass wall, but we were honest about how well it would stand up, particularly to our kind. As Esme entered the code, the metal shutters we'd installed slid into place, locking down the glass wall. Bella stared, wide-eyed at our security measures but there was little time to explain.

"About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with the female," Edward replied to my question.

"What's the plan?" I asked. Obviously since Edward had brought Bella here, rather than running her away, he had a plan that involved the family.

"We'll lead him off," Edward explained, "and then Jasper and Alice will run her south."

"And then?" I prompted. I had a feeling I knew what was next.

Edward's expression hardened and his voice became cold. "As soon as Bella is clear, we hunt him."

Dismay settled in the pit of my stomach. "I guess there's no other choice," I replied. I knew Laurent and Edward were right. James wouldn't stop until he was killed. Bella would be in danger until he was gone.

Edward had turned to Rosalie, of all people.

"Get her upstairs and trade clothes," he ordered. Rosalie glared back at him with a mixture of defiance and disbelief. Disbelief that he would dare to ask her to do such a thing when she'd made her opinion of Bella so clear, and defiance that he had in fact, asked her.

"Why should I?" Rosalie hissed back. "What is she to me? Except a menace—a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us."

Bella visibly flinched and I felt embarrassed that a member of my family would show such heartlessness and lack of support. Bella was family, especially now.

"Rose…" Emmett said softly, laying a hand on her shoulder. Rosalie shrugged it off.

But Edward acted as if he hadn't heard Rosalie. Perhaps he'd been expecting that reaction the moment the words were on his tongue. He turned to Esme and asked her calmly.

"Of course," Esme replied. Esme picked Bella up and rushed her upstairs.

Edward, Emmett, and Jasper began talking about the plans of attack, how they would handle James. I beckoned Rosalie to follow me to the kitchen. She begrudgingly went.

Rosalie helped me as I hurried around the kitchen, grabbing passports, currency, cell phones, things we might need to keep in touch and navigate the human world. All the while, I spoke to Rose in a calm, but firm tone.

"Rosalie, whether you like it or not, Bella is family now. Edward chose her, and he's not going to change his mind. You're going to have to accept that."

"She's a danger to us all," Rosalie protested. "If anything, this shows it! Everything would've been fine in that clearing had she not been there."

I gathered up the phones and other things. I took Rosalie's and Esme's passport out of the stack and placed them in her hand. "We protect our family," I said firmly. We returned to the living room where Edward was finalizing plans.

"Jasper, you and Alice will take Bella south. Esme and Rosalie will try to lead the woman off, west. Emmett, Carlisle," he said my name with questioning hesitation, "and I, will go after James." I nodded. I didn't relish the task, but going with Edward and Emmett would let me regulate them. They were in the most danger of taking this too far. If I went with them, I could perhaps, keep them from becoming the monsters like James.

Esme and Alice descended the stairs, carrying Bella between them. I handed a phone to Esme, and then to Alice.

"Esme and Rosalie will be taking you truck, Bella," I said. Bella looked worried. She wore Esme's clothes, which were a bit too long for her. Esme wore Bella's. The scent was muddled between the two of them. We might be able to confuse them as we leave.

"Alice, Jasper—take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south." I didn't like parting with my car, but Alice and Jasper needed it more than I did.

They nodded.

"We're taking the Jeep," I finished. Emmett nodded. He'd slung a pack over his shoulder. It held certain supplies we might need to deal with James.

"Alice? Will they take the bait?" I asked, turning to where she stood with Jasper and Bella. The room was still as she closed her eyes, looking to the future.

"He'll track you," she answered finally. "The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that."

I nodded. She seemed certain, which meant we had a good chance of tricking the tracker and getting Bella out of Forks with Alice and Jasper tonight.

"Let's go." I began turning towards the kitchen to leave, but stopped as Edward scooped Bella up, holding her as close as he could. He kissed her, a quick and desperate action that wrenched my heart. We couldn't let Bella be killed; I couldn't bear to see the results. Edward would never be the same. Bella had to live and we had to stop James. It wasn't an option.

He turned and left, Emmett and I right behind him, moving quickly. We jumped into the Jeep, I was driving. We were heading north as far as possible. The key was to go fast, but not so fast we lost the tracker. We'd head north and then ambush him.

I maneuvered the Jeep down the driveway and out onto the freeway. It was late; there were barely any other cars on the road. I pushed the Jeep faster. 80 mph.

"Edward," I said.

"He's following us," Edward replied, knowing my question. He flicked open the telephone and hit the speed dial.

"Esme," he said. "You and Rose can leave now. Be careful, Bella's truck doesn't go very fast."

He hung up before I could hear Esme's voice answer.

Emmett was rifling through the backpack, shuffling around tanks from our camp stove "props". We'd need the kerosene to burn the pieces of James.

"What're we going to do if this doesn't work?" Emmett asked. "What if the tracker changes course?"

Edward gripped the armrests, putting dents all the way through the leather, to the frame.

"Edward," I warned. He released his grip, though he spoke through clenched teeth.

"We fly to Bella," he said. "And we take her and hide her. Alice and Jasper can come back to Forks, or they can choose to continue the hunt."

The phone buzzed in his hand and he flipped it open again. "The woman is on our trail," Esme reported. I was relieved to hear her sweet voice, even distorted as it was through the cell phone.

"Good," Edward replied. He hung up and then dialed Alice's phone. Alice must've been waiting for him because she answered before even the first ring. "Victoria is following Esme and Rose," Edward reported. "Be careful when you leave. And remember, Bella has to eat more often than we do." He shut the phone again and tucked it away.

I turned down a side road. It was paved, but it hadn't been redone in what looked like ten years or even more. The vehicle bounced around but held up to the battery. Rosalie had worked on Emmett's Jeep the most out of all of our vehicles. I was able to fly down the back road at 70 mph and the suspension held up.

The back road turned into a Jeep trail, in even worse condition than the back road. It was unpaved, scattered rocks with more craters than the surface of the moon. The trees loomed closer in the darkness. I hadn't turned on the lights. We didn't want the tracker to have an easy time, otherwise he might suspect something.

Up ahead the road narrowed, too small for Emmett's Jeep. It was time to "ditch the ride" as Emmett might say. We jumped our, taking everything with us, and took off at a hard run down the new path. It was a hikers' trail, though the human scents were old and lingering. None of them had passed by in the last week. We wouldn't have to worry.

We led him as far north as possible until we came to the end of the peninsula. Then we swam across to just north of Everett and continued up the coast of Washington. We waited long enough until Edward confirmed that James was still following us. He'd tracked us across the water and was still on our trail.

Emmett was itching to turn around and ambush James. Edward insisted we needed to lead him farther from Forks. It was lighter now; the sun had risen behind the cloud cover

"We need to give Alice and Jasper enough time to get Bella away," Edward whispered as we ran. The tracker was only a few miles behind us. We were letting him get progressively closer, drawing him in for the ambush. We hadn't been able to call Esme, Rosalie, Alice, or Jasper. We hadn't spoken in anymore than a low whisper, too low for a cell phone to pick up and we definitely hadn't said a single word about where Bella went, or even which direction. We were being cautious, not sure of the tracker's range.

"If we get him now, Bella doesn't even have to get there," Emmett replied in kind.

"Quiet, both of you!" I hissed. I was listening for James. Edward had said that he was sure James was still behind us, even though he'd been flitting on the edge of Edward's range since we'd swam across to the mainland. He had been dropping back as we neared Vancouver, across the Canadian border. It had me worried. We'd led him far from Forks, hoping that he would follow Edward and assumed that Edward didn't leave Bella. Edward had run out of Bella's scent. He'd been using a few of her clothes to lure James on. But the clothing no longer smelled as much like Bella as it smelled like the trees and forest, and us.

Edward skidded to a stop suddenly and I was reminded of James's actions the day before. Emmett and I halted too, digging into the leaves and soil beneath us.

Edward stared straight ahead, a look of horror on his face. He said nothing; I assumed he was listening to the tracker's thoughts. We were outside Vancouver. We'd been leading him on for a full day or so.

"He's gone," Edward said. "He's beyond my range." Edward turned and took off, back the way we'd come, but no matter what, Edward couldn't find the tracker and neither Emmett nor I could pick up any trace of him.

"Damn it!" Emmett swore, punching a tree trunk. The trunk splintered, leaving a depression the shape of Emmett's fist halfway through it.

"We have to go back," I said. "We have to find his scent and try to follow it. When was the last time you heard him, Edward?"

"He followed on the edge of my range, but I heard him for sure just south of Vancouver."

"We'll start there."

We back-tracked and picked up James's scent. Instead of following our wide skirt of the city, it made a few circles, and then headed northwest, into the city. Thankfully, the day was overcast and we could trace him all the way to the airport in Vancouver.

"Edward, give me the phone." Edward handed over the small, silver cell phone quickly and I dialed Esme. She picked up on the first ring.

"We lost the tracker," I told her. "He got on a flight. He might be trying to come back to Forks to start over."

"We're protecting Charlie," Esme replied. "The woman has been looking here, trying to find some clue. She searched Charlie's house while he was at the station. Rose and I are keeping an eye on her."

"We're going to return to Forks. We'll try to pick up the trail again there."

"Okay," Esme answered. "We'll keep an eye out for him."

"We should be back in town later tonight."

"Be safe," She urged. "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied. I hung up, but it was reluctantly. I was happy to know that she and Rose were safe and I wanted to learn more about what the woman was doing in Forks.

I then hit the speed dial to Alice's phone. Surprisingly, Alice picked up on the second ring. She seemed worried. "Carlisle?"

"Is Bella alright?" I asked.

"Yes," Alice replied. Edward breathed a sigh of relief.

"We lost the tracker. He followed us north for a while on foot, but we lost him just south of Vancouver. We tracked him to the airport. We think he's going to go back to Forks to start over."

"I just saw him," Alice said. "First, in a mirrored room where he's playing a tape. It's long and the floors are wooden, and there's a gold stripe around the wall. Then I saw him in another place. It was dark so I couldn't see much. He was running another VCR, but he was actually watching it then. There's another decision that has to be made still for him to be waiting in the mirror room. Whatever made him get on that plane…it was leading him to those rooms."

"We're going back to Forks. We're going to try and pick up his trail again there."

Edward signaled for the phone and I handed it to him.

"Alice. Put Bella on," he said.

"Yes," came Alice's reply.

Emmett and I stepped off a bit to give him some privacy, but we could still hear his replies.

"Bella."

He paused a moment, listening. "Bella." He sighed and I could hear the frustration in his voice. He wanted to be with her, comforting her and protecting her. "I told you not to worry about anything but yourself."

Bella was worrying. About us. Even though her fears were unsubstantiated, I still shared them. It'd been a while since we'd gone up against other vampires. While our family was strong, it only took one slip.

"We're outside Vancouver. Bella, I'm sorry—we lost him. He seems suspicious of us—he's careful to stay just far enough away that I can't hear what he's thinking. But he's gone now—it looks like he got on a plane. We think he's heading back to Forks to start over."

Edward grimaced. I could see that he felt personally responsible for this whole episode. For the conflict at the field, for putting Bella in such danger, for losing the tracker, even for Bella's fear. Edward seemed to want to take responsibility for everything bad that happened, particularly to Bella.

"You don't have to worry, though. He won't find anything to lead him to you. You just have to stay there and wait till we find him again."

I placed a hand on Emmett's shoulder and gestured for him to come with me.

Find us when you're done, I told Edward silently. He nodded and continued his conversation over the phone, turning away from the busy traffic that sped by on the street. We were outside the airport in Vancouver. As soon as Edward was finished, we'd start back to Forks.

I asked Emmett to pull out the map when we were a little ways away from Edward, against the building. Emmett shuffled through his bag and eventually produced a satellite map of the western coast of Washington and the southwestern parts of Canada.

"We can take a more direct route now," I told him. "We'll swim across to Duncan and then hike across the island southwest, crossing the Canadian border in the water, and arriving west of Port Angeles, near Clallam Bay. Then it is straight south into Forks. It shouldn't take as much time as our prior route took, though it will still take some time." I traced the route with my finger.

"How long do you think?" Emmett asked his hand on his chin, studying the map.

"My guess is three hours, maybe more if we run into stronger currents. But you have the kerosene in the backpack so unless we want to lose that, I don't think taking a flight is a good idea. And I'm not sure Edward could handle waiting."

"Yeah, he's skittish today," Emmett commented, glancing over his shoulder where Edward still spoke on the phone.

"Then I think running back is the best. We can pick up your Jeep too."

"And if that tracker has been around Forks, we might be able to pick up his scent on the way in," Emmett added. He looked back as Edward approached. "That good for you?"

"Yes," Edward replied, picking the route out of Emmett's and my thoughts.

"Good," I said. "Is Bella worried?"

Edward nodded. "About us. I told her everything will be fine. I'm glad Jasper went with her. He can calm her down."

"Let's go then," Emmett urged. He picked up the map and folded it back up, shoving it in the backpack. With memories like ours, we wouldn't need it. We made our way away from the busy airport, towards the Strait of Georgia that separated Vancouver Island from the Canadian Mainland and Washington. It was freezing and rough, but I'd swam the English Channel twice already. The Strait of Georgia would be easy, especially for a vampire.

"Just watch out for boats," I cautioned Emmett and Edward. We dived in, swimming away from Vancouver at our normal speed.


	35. Chapter 35: Race to Phoenix

**A/N: Hey guys! I just had to temporarily take the chapter down to fix a few details that I missed. It didn't take long, I'm not even sure any of you will even have noticed it was gone, but here's the fixed version. The revision is at the end for those of you who've read the chapter already. **

**So here's the chapter. I felt so bad about not updating for you guys, especially at such a tense part. I hope you are grateful because I totally blew off a World Civilizations Essay that's ten pages long for this. I can't say it wasn't fun because that would be a lie, but it wasn't very smart of me. I'm going to be away the next two weekends, but I'll work on it on paper, and then hopefully have something for you in three weeks.**

**So I better get a ton of reviews!**

**-Wish**

Chapter 35: Race to Phoenix

The trip took around four hours. We got held up in the Strait of Juan de Fuca with patrol boats. When we returned back to the house in Forks, Esme was waiting for us. Rosalie was out, watching Charlie.

"We haven't heard anything more from Alice," Esme said as soon as we stepped through the door. I wrapped her up to my chest, breathing in her sweet smell. I was relieved to see her safe. Based on what she told us of the time since we'd left, the female hadn't done anything outside of looking around. She did travel out of the town briefly, but Esme and Rosalie were pretty sure she just went to hunt. Hunting in a small town like Forks would draw attention, and the female didn't seem one to want that.

"Have any of you found any sign of James?" I asked.

"No," Esme replied. "Just old trails from the last time he was here. Nothing fresh, and Victoria didn't seem to be communicating with him. I'm not sure if they planned for her to come back here before splitting up, or if she's doing this herself."

Edward let out a growl of frustration. "The longer this takes the less chance we have of finding him before he gets to Bella."

"We have to be careful, Edward," I urged him. "Bella is safe with Alice and Jasper. Alice would see him coming long before he got anywhere close to Bella. And Jasper is one of our best fighters, certainly our most experienced. Bella will be fine. We need to tread carefully if we are going to catch James."

Edward paced back and forth but I knew he understood my reasoning. He was smart and he could read my thoughts. He was just anxious to make Bella safe, like we all were.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Carlisle," Edward apologized.

"We'll find him," I reassured my son.

The cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and flicked it open. Alice's voice came through the line, low and fast.

"I had another vision of the second room except it was light this time. I started drawing it and Bella recognized it as her mother's house. And the first room, Bella recognized it as an old dance studio she went to as a kid. It's just around the corner from her old house."

I jumped up from my seat at the kitchen table. "Do you have a time period for the visions?"

"No," Alice replied. "What do you want me to do?"

I looked up at Edward. He was listening to the conversation in my mind and I could see the horror in his face. "We have to get her out of there," He said urgently.

"Alice listen," I spoke into the phone. "Edward, Emmett, and I are going to catch the first flight out of Seattle. We'll come and get Bella and we'll take her elsewhere to hide her. You and Jasper need to be careful. Keep alert and call us if you have any more visions. Have Jasper keep Bella calm. Use your discretion about what you tell her."

"Yes, Carlisle," Alice replied. I hung up and the house was a flurry of activity. Emmett was dumping his bag, Edward and Esme had flown up the stairs and I could hear rustling as they shoved extra clothes into bags. If things turned out messy, we couldn't be walking around with blood on our clothing. I grabbed a wad of cash from the kitchen box, enough to pay for the plane tickets. When I came back, Emmett and Edward had a bag and Esme was sending them off. She handed me a bag of my own and I shoved the phone, the passports, and the cash into it. Inside, she'd packed supplies from my doctor's bag. I thanked her before giving Esme a fleeting kiss.

"Come back soon," she told me.

"I promise," I replied before following Edward and Emmett out the door. They climbed into Edward's Volvo, Edward at the wheel and Emmett in the back seat. Edward only waited long enough for me to climb into the passenger's side before speeding back down the driveway and then out onto the highway.

"Where are we going to take her?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know," Edward replied. "Wherever the first flight out of Phoenix is going. Most likely out of the country."

"Emmett," I said, "You and I will stay with Alice and Jasper and hunt James in Phoenix. We know he's going to be at Bella's mother's house, and at the dance studio. We should be able to track him between the two places."

Edward braked as he caught the thoughts of a police officer on patrol, but accelerated again once he was out of the officer's sight. We arrived at the airport in Seattle within the hour. It was early, not even three in the morning. The airport wasn't busy, thankfully. I wasn't positive Edward or Emmett would've had the patience to deal with lines and slow-moving humans.

"Three tickets for the next flight to Phoenix," I told the woman behind the ticket counter. The woman typed on the keyboard, not seeming to catch on to the urgency of our situation.

"Our next flight is at five thirty," she said. "After that the next plane doesn't leave until eleven."

"We'll take it," I replied, laying the three passports open on the counter. The woman took her time to enter the information and double-check the pictures on the passports. Edward was practically vibrating with his impatience and irritation. Emmett wasn't much better off, gripping his pack's shoulder strap like he was about to rip it off his shoulder. I tried to caution them, calm them with thoughts and warning looks, but Edward seemed to tense to be listening and Emmett was never good at understanding silent communication.

"Here you go, sir," the woman said finally, handing back the three passports and tickets. I grabbed them and we hurried off towards the security checkpoint.

Airport security was typically a nightmare for us. Either the lines were incredibly long, or one of the humans began to feel suspicious of us and we got detained for extra security. The later was the case here and Emmett and Edward were both detained, Emmett because he seemed to be threatening the security personnel, and Edward because he seemed "anxious" as he went through, an almost sure-fire sign that that person was up to something.

To the security personnel's dismay, both my sons cleared and we walked off, both Emmett and Edward walking a little too fast for human speed.

"Emmett, Edward," I hissed, "You have to calm down. The plane is leaving at five thirty, it's only three. Rushing to the gate is not going to make it get here any faster. You're beginning to make the humans suspicious."

Edward and Emmett were getting odd looks thrown their way by the few humans that were at the airport at this early hour. While I couldn't read minds like Edward, I could tell that Emmett's and Edward's demeanors were making them nervous, possibly even scared.

Edward took a deep breath and rearranged his expression to exude calm, though I could see in his eyes that he was all but calm on the inside. Emmett was attempting to do the same, but failing miserably. Emmett wore his emotions on his sleeve. He always had.

We sat down at the gate, Edward sitting as still as a statue, Emmett fidgeting. It was a long two hours before the announcement came over the loudspeakers that the flight to Phoenix was going to be arriving in ten minutes. Emmett let out a sigh of relief at the announcement and began to fidget less. Edward didn't even seem to acknowledge the announcement; though I was sure he heard it.

The plane pulled up to the gate ten minutes later and Edward finally moved to get up and get in the short queue for the plane. The people getting off looked around blinking, though some gave us curious looks and hurried off. I sighed inwardly. All the years of perfecting the human façade had disintegrated. I called Alice from the line. She picked up quickly.

"Alice, we're about to board the plane. We'll get in around—"

"Nine forty-five," Alice said. "And I've got your flight number too. We'll have Bella with us when you get there."

"Good," I replied. "Have you seen anything else?"

"No."

"But you will call us if you do."

"Of course, Carlisle. Just get here quickly."

"We'll see you in Phoenix," I finished, hanging up.

We got on the plane and sat down in our seats in business class. Edward and Emmett sat in front of me, Edward in the aisle seat and Emmett at the window. I sat on the aisle side behind Edward. Next to me at the window, a balding, middle aged business man held his laptop on his lap and looked out the window longingly.

"I'm going to miss Seattle," he informed me, though I didn't ask. I nodded politely but didn't answer in hopes that the man would understand I didn't want to talk. He didn't get the hint though.

"So is Phoenix your final destination?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied simply.

"Nice city," the man commented. "Hot and sunny. I'm going through to Houston though. I have a job interview," he added.

"I wish you the best of luck then."

"Thanks."

The man stared out the window again. Emmett turned halfway around in his seat and raised his eyebrows at me. I scowled back and he faced forward again. Edward was sitting back in his seat, his head tilted against the headrest and his eyes closed. He looked like he was asleep, though Emmett and I both knew that couldn't be true. Edward was more than likely trying to make sure nobody disturbed him. Sure enough the flight attendant glanced down briefly to make sure his seat belt was secure (at least that's what I hope she was doing) and continued on without a word to either him or Emmett.

The man next to me pulled the window shade down as we began taxing out to the runway. Judging by the intensity of his heart and the beginnings of perspiration on his forehead, I could tell he didn't like flying. The doctor in me took pity on the man. He looked pale and I worried that he was going to pass out or throw up on this flight.

"Are you alright, sir?" I asked.

The man laughed anxiously. "I'm just not a great flyer," he replied. The sweat on his forehead was beginning to fall in drops. I could smell his fear as a putrid odor coming off his person.

"If you need any help," I offered, "I'm a doctor."

"I'll be okay Doc," the business man assured me.

The man gripped the armrests as we took off. His face began to take on more color, but I watched as it passed through "healthy" on to oxygen-deprived red. I began to worry about him as I watched his face darken.

"Breathe," I urged him. The man let out a desperate breath and then a few long breaths. I watched as his color returned to a better, pinkish complexion. As the plane ascended I monitored his heart rate and his breathing. As the plane began to level out, he seemed to calm a bit.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's the take-offs that are the worst," he admitted.

"It's okay," I reassured him.

The man took out a tissue and dabbed at his forehead taking deep, steady breaths. "You—probably have had to do that more then once—eh?"

I smiled, trying to reassure the man. Honestly I hadn't, but that was because most plane rides I sat next to Esme or one of the others, and they didn't need to breathe. In fact, I sometimes had to tell them not to breathe. Such close proximity to humans could be dangerous. "Let's just say it wasn't my first experience," I told him.

The man smiled back. "I hope you don't mind if I keep the shade down."

"Not at all," I replied. I had been worried earlier that he would want the shade up. Above the clouds, the sun was able to shine in unchecked. I would've had to most worry as we approached Phoenix and been cautious to not let the sun touch my skin. But this man's fear of flying had taken care of that predicament for me.

He chattered nervously the whole flight. I knew it was more for his nerves, rather than because he genuinely wanted to talk to me, but I answered him all the same. He asked what I as travelling to Phoenix for, I replied it was family purposes. He asked about Emmett and Edward, I told him they were my adopted sons and he marveled at my parenting skills at my age.

"I've got only a thirteen-year old daughter and I feel out of my league. You must be completely blown away with two teenage boys!"

"Actually, my wife and I have three boys and two girls, all in high school. One of the girls we adopted, and then the other boy and girl are my wife's niece and nephew."

The man's eyes went wide. "May the Lord be with you," he replied. "You need him more than I do."

A soft bell rang over the speakers and then crackling. "This is your captain speaking. We are preparing to make our descent into the Phoenix Area. It looks like we will get in approximately ten minutes early. Ground conditions in Phoenix, sunny and 89°F going up to 95°F today. It looks like we'll be landing in Terminal four. On behalf of the Southwest crew, we'd like to thank you for flying with us and hope you keep us in mind for your future travels."

The speaker clicked off and I looked forward to Edward and Emmett. Edward's eyes had snapped open. He was wide awake and ready to dash off the plane as soon as we reached the gate.

The plane touched down with a slight bump and the man next to me breathed a sigh of relief. Edward had already disconnected his seat belt. Emmett was the only things still holding him in his seat.

Edward, I warned mentally. He ignored me.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, looking at the number. It was Alice.

"Alice?" I answered.

"She's gone." It was Jasper on the phone, not Alice.

"Who?" I asked.

"Bella. I don't know if she left on her own or if someone grabbed her, but she's gone. She was really nervous before."

Edward stiffened in front of me and Emmett spun around in his seat.

"We're on the ground, we're just taxing to the gate," I told him. "Meet us at the terminal and we'll go after them. Has Alice seen anything else?"

"That's why I'm the one calling," Jasper replied. "She's been seeing things since Bella left. A lot of Bella in a taxi, and a lot of the dance studio."

"Then that's where we'll look for her," I concluded. "We'll be there soon."

I hung up and the man next to me chuckled nervously. "Family matters?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied tersely. I didn't have time to talk to this man anymore. We all needed to get off this plane, before it was too late.

When the plane finally pulled into the terminal, Edward dashed out the door, followed right by Emmett. I was quickly on their heels. We ran way too fast, up the ramp into the terminal. Then Emmett and I followed Edward as he weaved through the crowds, making his way beyond security, to where Alice and Jasper would be waiting. When we exited, Alice and Jasper were at us in an instant.

"What happened?" Edward growled.

"Edward it's not their faults," I said sternly.

"No, it is," Jasper corrected, his head dropping. "I didn't pay close enough attention. I didn't realize the bathroom had two exits and entrances. I'm sorry Edward."

"Do you know where she's going?" Edward asked.

"Her mothers' house," Alice answered. "She's quite decided."

Edward didn't wait for the rest of us. He whipped around and sprinted towards the parking lot, full vampire speed. The rest of us followed at a more human pace. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice Edward, though they all noticed Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and I barreling over other passengers and their families to go after Edward.

We finally made it through the exit of the airport, but Edward was nowhere to be found.

"Jasper, where is the house?" I asked.

"I traced the number Bella called," Jasper said. "It's not far from the dance studio. I'll drive." We hurried to where Jasper had parked my Mercedes (I was relieved to see nothing had happened to it) and piled in the car, Jasper at the wheel, me in the passenger's seat, and Emmett and Alice in the backseat. Jasper took off, negotiating the airport traffic at speeds only possible for a vampire.

Getting out on the highway, he gunned the engine to over 100 mph and we shot off, racing towards Bella's mother's house, and hopefully, Edward and Bella.

**A/N: Hey sorry for this extra Author's Note but I just wanted to put a question out there to the readers. I've been writing this story for a little while now and i've gotten so many great reviews, i feel really good about it. But the end of "Twilight" is coming up and i just want to put this out there. **

**Should I end Rising Sun with the events of Twilight, or should i continue on through Breaking Dawn?**

**Please answer me through the poll on my profile rather then writing a bunch of reviews or PMs with answers like "Yes" and "No". It's a lot easier to figure things out through the poll.**

**Thanks so much!**

**-Wish**


	36. Chapter 36: To The Rescue

**A/N: Here it is! The long-anticipated fight scene. Duh-duh-da-dah! Except Carlisle doesn't like fighting. Shame on you for wanting to hurt people! Or reading about people hurting people!**

**But I think Carlisle would want you to enjoy reading about how they saved Bella, so I guess you don't have to be too guilty. Read, REVIEW (This means ALL of you! Don't make me get Emmett!) and Pass it On!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 36: To the Rescue_

We were speeding down the highway when Alice had another vision. Her eyes unfocused as she was flung past the present scene, into the future. Jasper kept looking anxiously in the rear view mirror as he navigated the traffic. He weaved between other cars, missing more than a few by mere inches. I only knew Alice had returned to the present by the sudden gasp and Emmett's urgent "What, Alice?"

"The studio," she said. "We have to get there now! The tracker is waiting there! HE'S GOING TO KILL BELLA!"

Jasper attempted to push my car faster, but traffic wouldn't allow him to pass. He was weaving at about 100 mph, through the traffic, but it was getting more and more congested.

"We don't have _time_ for this!" Jasper growled. He accelerated down a short gap between cars before having to slow again behind a semi-truck. My own impatience was testing my control. Bella could be in danger _right now_! James could already have her. None of us could live with Edward ever again if he lost Bella. None of us could bear to look him in the eye for the rest of eternity, if we lost Bella.

"Get off here," Alice urged Jasper as an exit came up. "There's going to be an accident ahead. We can't get stuck in traffic."

Jasper swerved across two lanes and barely made it down the exit ramp. He made a right at Alice's insistence and we found ourselves on a main thoroughfare, through Phoenix. It was possibly more congested than the highway, but Alice had said there would be an accident. It going through the city meant not being held at a stand-still, then we'd take it.

Alice helped Jasper navigate the unfamiliar streets, telling him where to turn to avoid the worst of the morning commute. Jasper followed her directions without fail, trusting Alice's visions.

"The studio's just ahead," Alice announced. I watched in the side-view mirror as she squeezed her eyes shut again, focusing on a vision of Bella. "Bella's gone there for her mother. I can see now, that's what the note she gave me said. And…Edward," she breathed.

"What about Edward?" Emmett asked quickly.

"He's going to get there a few seconds before us. There's so much blood. _Bella_. TURN!"

Jasper skidded around the corner onto "Cactus" and we were thrown against the opposite side doors by the sudden change of direction. I braced my arm against the door, ready to leap from the car as soon as Jasper brought it to a stop. Ahead I could see the sign for the ballet studio. The parking lot in front held a single car, not familiar to me. I assumed it was either the tracker's, or a car Edward had stolen. Jasper whipped the car around, into the parking lot, right behind the already parked car near the door.

We leapt out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. Emmett was inside before Jasper had even turned off the engine. Alice and I were right behind him. Ahead I could hear crashes, glass breaking, wood cracking, feral growls ringing through the dark studio. Ahead, I could see that only one of the actual dance studios was lit and the door was slightly broken and tilted to one side. That was where the noise was coming from. Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and I charged through the door, Emmett taking it completely off its hinges.

I took in the scene in an instant. The shattered mirrors, destroyed floorboards, Emmett and Jasper wrestling with the tracker, Bella's broken form on the floor, and Edward kneeling over her.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" he cried. Beyond, I heard a high-pitched keening as Jasper took the tracker's head off with a ferocious snarl.

"Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please," Edward pleaded to the broken form before him. "Please, Bella, please!" He looked around wildly for help. "Carlisle!" he called to me, his voice breaking.

I rushed forward as Edward pleaded with Bella. The flowing blood permeated through my senses, but I ignored it as I have for three hundred years. Bella's head was bleeding, her leg was broken, and there were glass shards everywhere. I started with her head, the one with the possibility of being the most severe. I tried to gently assess the damage, but Bella cried out in pain and Edward lurched forward. "Bella!"

"She's lost some blood," I told Edward, "but the head wound isn't too deep." I looked down to her leg, bent at an unnatural angle near Edward's knee. "Watch out for her leg," I warned him, "It's broken."

Edward let out a strangled growl, enraged at Bella's injuries. It tore me apart as I methodically worked my way down Bella's broken form, making note of cuts from glass, bruises, and possible breaks. I felt a few of her ribs give and saw pain shoot through Bella's features.

"Some ribs, too, I think," I commented. I had to keep a cool head if I was going to be able to help Bella. Although it pained me to see her and Edward in such a state, I had to push it away and let the doctor in me take over.

"Edward," Bella mumbled.

"Bella, you're going to be fine," Edward assured her. "Can you hear me, Bella? I love you."

"Edward," Bella said again, with more conviction.

"Yes, I'm here," he answered. I focused on the break. It was a complete fracture. Luckily the bone had not pierced the skin. I didn't want to try to set it without being able to know more about it. I didn't want to risk further injury. But we had to make a splint for it. We would have to move Bella before calling an ambulance. She couldn't be found here.

Alice had come up behind me. Obviously James was taken care of and Emmett and Jasper were preparing to destroy the evidence of our presence. They'd left the room; the smell of Bella's flowing blood was too much for their self-control.

"My bag, please…" I told Alice, looking back briefly. I could see the struggle on her face and the way her body leaned forward, rigid. She was fighting her thirst. "Hold your breath, Alice, it will help," I advised her.

Alice left to grab my bag from the car. I dashed out without it.

"Alice?" Bella groaned.

"She's here, she knew where to find you," Edward assured her.

"My hand hurts," Bella said.

Alice returned with the bag and I began preparing a needle of morphine. I never thought I would have to use it when I first put the morphine and needle into my bag. But I was thankful now that I had.

"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop."

"My hand is burning!" she screamed.

Edward glanced down at the hand in his. "Bella?"

"The fire! Someone stop the fire!" she insisted.

"Carlisle! Her hand!" I looked to Bella's opposite hand, the one Alice was pointing to. I moved around to the side. A perfect, crescent impression of James's teeth bled freely on Bella's hand. "He bit her." I couldn't believe it. After all this, he'd bitten her too.

Edward gasped.

Alice had situated herself by Bella's hand, wiping the blood from her face with gauze from my bag. "Edward, you have to do it," she urged.

"No!" Edward shouted, in answer to her thoughts.

"Alice," Bella moaned.

My mind was frantically going through the possibilities. If Bella was changed, all these injuries would be healed. The family would have to move, though. I knew Edward didn't want this life for Bella. But there was no antidote for vampire venom. It wasn't like snake venom…or was it?

"There may be a chance," I said.

"What?" Edward asked, desperate.

"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean." I moved to her head. The wound was full of glass. I didn't want to bandage it as it was.

"Will that work?" Alice asked as I picked out pieces of glass. Her voice was strained as she fought against the flowing blood. Talking required air, which she couldn't get holding her breath.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But we have to hurry."

"Carlisle, I…" Edward broke off, looking between Bella's face, and her bitten hand. "I don't know if I can do that."

"It's your decision, Edward, either way." I took a packet of gauze from my bag and placed it to Bella's scalp, applying firm pressure to stop most of the bleeding. "I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand."

She twisted and I was worried about her leg.

"Edward!" Bella screamed.

"Alice, get me something to brace her leg!" I ordered. I was still pulling out glass as I applied pressure to the major part of the wound. The venom was still burning in Bella's veins. "Edward, you must do it now, or it will be too late."

Edward was torn. He didn't want Bella to go through this, yet he wasn't sure he wouldn't kill her in the process of preventing the change. For a moment, I thought he was going to refuse, not wishing to risk it.

Find the will, Edward, I urged silently, not sure if he was listening to my thoughts.

Edward's jaw hardened as he made his decision. He picked up the injured hand with a look of steely determination. I braced Bella's head in my arms as Alice braced her leg.

As Edward lowered his mouth to Bella's arm, a bible verse came to my mind. "I have the ******strength for everything** through Him who empowers me." It came from _Philippians.____ Chapter 4, line 13. Edward needed that strength, now more than ever._

___As Edward took more and more of her blood, Bella's thrashing slowed. I began to worry. Would Edward stop?_

___Bella's eyes began to fall as she slipped further out of consciousness. I prepared to step in, if Edward didn't stop. I wasn't sure if I could stop him as he drank her blood, but I would have to try._

___Just as I thought I would have to wrestle Edward away from Bella, he threw himself back. I moved in quickly with another gauze pad to cover the bite. Edward must have still been fighting the frenzy. Covering the source as much as possible may help. _

___I looked over my shoulder to where he slouched on the floor, his hand clamped over his mouth and nose, his eyes clenched shut._

___You did it, Edward,____ I told him. ____Well done, son._

_"__Edward." Bella's voice was weak, but Edward's head snapped up immediately._

_"__He's right here, Bella," I reassured her._

___I could tell Bella was beginning to lose consciousness. She was slurring her words and kept blinking. "Stay, Edward, stay with me…"_

_"__I will," Edward promised. If he were a human, I imagine his voice would've sounded hoarse. As it were, his words were strained, but I could tell he was just as proud of himself as I was of him._

_"__Is it all out?" I asked Edward._

_"__Her blood tastes clean," Edward confirmed. "I can taste the morphine."_

_"__Bella?" I wasn't sure if she would answer. She seemed to be slipping away._

_"__Mmmmm?" she managed._

_"__Is the fire gone?"_

_"__Yes," she answered with a contented sigh. "Thank you, Edward."_

_"__I love you," he replied._

_"__I know."_

___Edward laughed softly at some inward joke._

___I looked around the room once more. I destruction was everywhere. There was no saving the room. It would have to be destroyed, to make sure there was no evidence. And we'd have to go back to Bella's mother's house, to make sure there was no sign of ours, Bella's, or James's passage. Then I remembered the reason Bella had come._

_"__Bella?"_

Bella answered groggily. "What?"

"Where is your mother?" Had James already gotten to her? Had he killed her?

"In Florida," Bella replied. "He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos." The indignation was barely readable in her voice. We needed to get her to a hospital. At the very least, we needed to get her out of the studio so that Emmett and Jasper could finish destroying the evidence. They were already spreading gasoline over the pile of James and the rest of the building so that it would burn quickly.

"Alice," Bella added suddenly. "Alice the video—he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from. I smell gasoline."

"It's time to move her," I urged.

"No, I want to sleep," Bella protested.

Edward soothed," You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you."

Edward, are you sure? I asked silently. I could—

But Edward already picked Bella up before I could make my offer of help. He cradled her against his chest. "Sleep now, Bella," he whispered.

Bella went limp in his arms. Alice followed him as he carried Bella out to the car, supporting her splinted leg. Edward cradled her injured head himself, though I walked along, holding pressure still.


	37. Chapter 37: Fabricating an Accident

**A/N: Sorry this has taken a while. I've been busy with end of school stuff. I should be starting to update more often so look for some. **

**After polling you guys about whether or not I should end Rising Sun at the end of Twilight, I have the results.**

**1)No, keep going all the way through Breaking Dawn. 80%**

**2)Yes end at Twilight, but go further in another story. 20%**

**And**

**3)Yes, end at Twilight, but don't go any further. 0%**

**Thanks so much to all of you who participated in the poll. I will follow the majority's wishes and continue up through Breaking Dawn, even if it means so many more chapters. It's been fun so far and I can't wait to continue. I was so happy to see nobody wanted me to stop. Thanks guys!**

**So we're looking at possibly one more chapter from Twilight, and then another in between before we get into New Moon. So stick around. Both of them should be up by Mid-June.**

**Don't forget to Read, Review, and Pass it On!**

**-Wish**

* * *

_Chapter 37: Fabricating an Accident_

We left the dance studio as Emmett and Jasper hurried back in to finish the job of destroying it. Edward carried Bella to my Mercedes, climbing gingerly into the back seat. Alice followed him in, taking the job of directing pressure from me. She was still holding her breath. She had been since Edward had sucked the venom from Bella's hand. It was precautionary.

I ran around to the drivers' side and climbed in, starting the engine. Emmett and Jasper would stick around until everything was taken care of. Then they'd find us. Jasper still had the cell-phone. He'd call when everything was taken care of. My priority was getting Bella care. We needed a cover story, some way to describe all these injuries without causing suspicion. Or rather, the wrong kind of suspicion. The damaging kind.

"Alice, where to?" I asked.

There was a brief pause before she answered, "There's a hotel, not far from the airport. It's got the perfect setting for this. Bella is going to fall down two flights of stairs, that'll explain the broken leg and the cuts and bruises, and then through a window. That will explain the glass injuries."

"Where is it?"

"Turn left here," Alice replied.

I followed her directions back towards the airport. But we didn't go all the way back to Sky Harbor International. Instead, we left the freeway an exit before and pulled into a moderately-priced hotel.

Alice directed the "mission". She and I walked in first, while Edward stayed with Bella in the Mercedes. Thankfully, the hotel had an overhang where we could move between the car and the building without stepping into the sunlight. Alice and I reserved a room in the hotel and walked up to it. After dropping my bag in the hotel room, we walked down to the stairway where Alice had seen Bella's "accident".

Alice surveyed the stairway, hand on her chin, observing each angle with a critical eye. "This is it," she said. "For the story, Bella told Charlie that she had to get out of Forks and that she was driving home to Phoenix. So Edward flies down with his father, of course, and his sister, to try to convince her to come home."

"Okay," I said, "And we're staying here."

"Right. Bella agrees to come over to talk, but as she's making her way up the stairs to our room, she…"

My mind flashed to the memory of the X-ray. All those healed contusions. I'd jokingly suggested that Bella's mother had dropped her too many times. Edward had said he thought she just had a lot of bad luck. "She trips," I finished. "She trips on the stairs. Bella is clumsy, yes?"

"Yes," Alice replied. "She trips and falls down—"Alice's eyes became distant as she scanned the future for our version of events. "—two flights of stairs, and through the window. Definitely."

"So how do you think we should fabricate this?" I asked her.

Alice looked down the stairs and sighed. "Since Bella shouldn't do this for real, I guess I'll have to. It'll be noisy, so we need her here as soon as it happens."

Before the words had even left her mouth, I heard footsteps on the stairs below. "Bella is still unconscious," Edward said in a low voice. I barely heard it, even with my acute, vampire senses. "I'll be waiting under the window, Alice, so that Bella's there as soon as it breaks."

"See you on the other side," Alice replied. I thought I detected a hint of excitement in her voice. Was she excited about falling down two flights of stairs and crashing through a window?

She turned back to me. "Go back to the room. When you hear the crash, come running out like you don't know what's going on. The hotel staff will see this and they won't suspect a thing."

I nodded and did as she told me. I returned to the room Alice and I had just checked into and waited to "find" Bella. I was at the door, wringing my hands impatiently, when I finally heard Alice. I winced out of habit at every loud thud and dashed out the door as I heard the resounding crash. I had to be careful to move at human speed as I rushed to the stair way. Other hotel guests came to their doors as I hurried out, confused. One man grabbed my arm as I rushed by and I forced myself to stop so that I didn't drag him along with me.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said frantically, "I just heard a crash. I think it came from the stairs."

I hurried off as I heard the man relay the message to others in the hallway. Footsteps followed me as I ran. I sped up a bit so that I was certain I'd be there before the majority of the crowd. "Sprinting" down the stairs, I saw the broken glass from the window. I paused, as would be expected of someone who didn't know what had just happened. Below, I could see Bella's prone form, completely alone. There was no sign of Edward or Alice, though I had no doubt they were watching carefully from the wings. Edward especially, wouldn't leave an injured Bella alone outside a hotel.

"Oh my God!" I shouted for the benefit of the humans. I silently apologized for taking the Lord's name in vain as I continued down the stairs another flight, to the ground level. I rushed out the emergency exit at the base of the stairs and immediately began checking over Bella's wounds again. They were no worse than when I'd first treated her, but they weren't any better either. She was losing too much blood. They'd probably have to give her a transfusion at the hospital.

I turned on the group of onlookers that was gathering behind me. "Someone cal 911," I ordered. I heard a pair of feet rush off to obey as I turned back to Bella. I was worried about the blood loss. It was taking too long to get her to the hospital. Edward had taken blood out of her arm to stop the venom. But she'd already lost so much to begin with. Could she make it? I was momentarily doubtful. Then Edward and Alice showed up.

They came from the direction of the main lobby, pushing their way through the crowd. The looks on their faces were sheer horror. They knew how to play their parts well.

"Oh my God, Bella!" Edward exclaimed. He knelt down, gingerly taking her unconscious form into his hands.

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"I don't know," I replied. I looked around, as if searching for some clue. When my eyes fell back on the building, I began to look up. There, the broken window was right above us, with the glass. "There," I pointed. "She must've fallen through the window. That must've been the crash earlier."

The hotel manager was now pushing his way through the crowd, pardoning himself along the way. "What happened?" he asked his eyes going wide as he took in Bella's broken form, and then the crowd around her.

"We think she fell through the window," I replied, standing and pointing up at the building.

"We've called 911," he said. He turned around to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your activities, the emergency crews will need space when they arrive."

A few of the crowd broke off and left, but most simply backed up. The hotel manager muttered into his cell phone, calling employees to deal with the crowd. Then he turned back to Bella, Edward, Alice, and I.

"Sir, I will stay with her if you wish to move on," he offered.

"That is generous, but I am a doctor by profession and she is a friend of my son and daughter," I replied, gesturing to Edward, who still held Bella and Alice, who knelt at his side.

"You know her?" the manager asked.

"Yes, she was visiting us. She must've fallen on her way up the stairs," Alice replied.

"Oh my goodness." The manager looked down on Bella, worried, though I wasn't sure if he was worried about the girl, or the potential lawsuit.

Within minutes, I heard the ambulance on the road approaching the hotel. Everything would be fine once Bella was in the proper hands. There was only so much I could do for her. But I would try to ride with her to the hospital and give Edward a bit of peace of mind.

When the EMTs arrived, they worked efficiently, accessing the damage to Bella's head, leg, and ribs, before putting her on a backboard to reduce the risk of spinal injury. I told them what I knew about the wounds and explained that I was a doctor and friend of the injured.

"Would it be possible to ride with you to the hospital?" I asked.

The lead EMT looked back at the ambulance where his partners already had an IV in Bella's arm. "It's not typical policy, but you are a doctor and she has no family here?"

"That's right," I confirmed. Renee was not home.

"Fine. But you have to ride in the front."

I obliged and after confirming with Edward and Bella that I would meet them at the hospital, climbed in the passenger's seat. The back doors of the ambulance were closed and we left. Edward and Alice were almost right behind us in my Mercedes.

* * *

**A/N2: Really, review!**

**-Wish**


	38. Chapter 38: Everything Will Work Out

**A/N: Yay! It's been really long, but I have finally finished writing Carlisle's story, up to the end of Twilight! Expect maybe one or two chapters of in between, and then on to New Moon! FYI, this chapter has not been edited beyond a simple spell check run so PLEASE don't sweat the small mistakes. I will totally edit them all.**

**Thanks to all my faithful readers who are the most awesome people on this site! You all rock! Thanks for getting me this far!**

**As always, I will remind you to Read, Review, and Pass it On! But really, the Review is the most important. I gotta know what you guys think!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 38: Everything Will Work Out_

Arriving at the hospital, Bella was transferred from the ambulance to the Emergency Room, and I was asked to wait patiently. Not five minutes later, Edward and Alice arrived. Edward was muttering something about parking spots as he sat down.

"Any news yet?" he asked.

"You know there isn't," I replied. "Besides, we only arrived a few minutes ago."

Edward paced as Alice sat next to me in the plastic chairs of the Phoenix hospital waiting room. We waited a long time. I watched the minute hand move around the clock face twice, until an ER doctor came out and called for "anybody with Bella Swan?".

"We are," I said, getting up. Alice and Edward were right behind me, Edward wringing his hands and Alice looking off into the distance, attempting to see her future. The both seemed to settle as we approached the doctor.

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen," I introduced myself. "This is my son, Edward, and my daughter, Alice. We're friends of Bella's family." It was a partial truth. Chief Swan certainly didn't seem to have any animosity towards us, though I wasn't sure whether or not he would consider us friends.

"Bella is in critical, but stable condition," the doctor said. "She's lost a lot of blood, so we had to give her a few transfusions. Right now she is still unconscious. She has a broken leg, four broken ribs, multiple contusions, and several cracks in her skull."

"Is she still hemorrhaging?" I asked.

"We are controlling it. As long as Bella wakes up within the next week, she should be okay. The head wound itself doesn't look too serious. Although I am worried about the cracks and the trauma, it's the blood loss and unconsciousness we are most worried about. I will let you know when we are more certain."

I forced myself to nod and thank the doctor before returning to my seat. I wanted to be there, helping Bella myself. I wanted to be able to tell Edward that everything would be fine. But I wasn't sure.

I called Charlie Swan as soon as I returned to my bag. His distress was evident, even before I told him his daughter was in the hospital. It seems his worse fears had been realized, that Bella would get hurt after she left. His frantic questions only paused when I told him Bella was in "critical but stable" condition and that she should be okay. But he began to worry again when I told him they'd given her blood transfusions to replace that which she'd lost in the "accident". I promised him I'd stay until either he or Renee could get there. I also told him I'd call if anything else happened. He hung up with a "thank you, Dr. Cullen," and a promise that one of them would arrive as soon as possible.

~*~

As soon as Bella was allowed visitors, Edward didn't leave Bella's side, even after visiting hours were long over. Alice and I moved to a hotel closer to the hospital, but Edward never came to it. I watched Edward destroy himself over Bella's state and wished there was some way I could help. I'd already assured him mentally and vocally that none of this was his fault; that he'd saved Bella, but Edward seemed to ignore me.

When Renee arrived in Phoenix the next day, Edward was forced to share Bella's bed side with someone else. It was in the hospital that I first met Bella's mother, and was struck by how different mother and daughter were, personality wise. Renee seemed a bit hare-brained, while Bella always seemed collected. It was almost as if Renee was the teenager and Bella was the parent. Theirs seemed to be a very odd relationship, one I was curious about.

Bella had been trying to tell Alice about some sort of tape as we were treating her, after James's attack. Before burning the ballet studio, Jasper and Emmett had found the camera and the tape James had made of his torturing Bella. It had been sickening to watch, but there were certain parts that were educational. The mystery of Alice's past had finally been revealed. She was Mary Alice Brandon. She'd been a mental patient, which could explain why she didn't remember anything but black. Mental patients, particularly schizophrenic patients, were kept in almost constant dark and loneliness.

The tape had affected Alice in ways I have yet to understand. She was spending more time around Jasper. There was talk of the two of them going on a road trip to do some digging into Alice's past.

Bella finally woke on Friday, almost three days after the faked accident. Suspicion had been removed from us as our alibis were solidified. The police were calling this one an "unfortunate accident", which was good for us. It meant they wouldn't dig any further. They'd gotten our statements and Bella wouldn't sue. Case closed.

We stayed in Phoenix until Bella was able to fly. It meant an extended leave from the Forks hospital for me, but the Head of Medicine didn't have a problem with that. I worked longer than most of the other doctors there anyway.

Once Bella returned home, things became interesting. Charlie genuinely seemed grateful to me for being there and looking out for Bella. And he seemed happy about Alice too, though I wasn't sure why. He didn't even seem to be angry at Bella for leaving or for all the hateful, damaging words she'd spewed at him the night she left. No. All Charlie's anger, and most of his blame, fell on Edward.

Edward said Charlie blames him for somehow hurting Bella and causing her to leave and then eventually end up in a hospital. He set down new rules upon Bella's return that Edward frequently found irritating. Rules like curfews and specific times Edward was allowed to visit Bella at home. Edward came home, annoyed at having to wait for the few hours until he could return to Bella. I didn't even bother warning him against breaking Charlie's rules. I knew that, especially after what happened to Bella in Phoenix, Edward would ignore me.

So, I was surprised when Edward told me he was taking Bella to prom. But most of all, I was surprised that Charlie had said it was okay. I was optimistic that maybe this would be a step towards Charlie accepting Edward. Above anything, my son deserved to be accepted. He deserved to be with Bella. He'd waited so long already.

As I watched Bella leave with Edward, dressed up by Alice in a blue, designer gown with only one dress shoe (her other leg was in a cast) my mind fell to the memory of a conversation I'd had with my own angel, the first time Bella had visited our home.

"Carlisle, he loves her. Some how, everything will work out."

I sighed and wrapped my arms around my angel, hugging her close to my chest and breathing in her sweet, cinnamon brown sugar scent. Esme turned in my arms and looked up at me, quizzically.

"I think you were right," I told her. "I think, everything just might, work out." I leaned down and gave her a tender kiss. Now I was the hopeless romantic!


	39. Chapter 39: Reluctant

**A/N: Okay this is a middle chapter that hints towards some of Bella's feelings, but mainly it's family fluff with some Carlisle and Esme. Next chapter will be the birthday party where everything goes wrong. I promise.**

**As always, Read, Review, and Pass it On, but most importantly REVIEW!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 39: Reluctant_

We were spending the last night before the first day of school as a family. Or, at least, as much of a family as we could be. Rosalie and Emmett were in Africa. But if anyone outside the family asked, they were on the East Coast, attending their first year of Dartmouth. Jasper was supposed to be with them, but he sat on the love seat with Alice. Jasper would never leave her. On the next couch over sat Edward, with Bella.

After the events of last March, Edward had rarely let Bella out of his sight. All summer they'd been inseparable. It had been wonderful, seeing Edward finally happy. For so long, Edward had been alone and miserable. Bt Bella had changed all that. Jasper, in the past, had stayed away from Edward because of his depressive moods. But now, Jasper spent more and more time with his brother, hunting or just sitting in the family room reading.

Bella fit in the family. Everyone, with the exception of Rosalie, loved her. Already, I thought of her as another daughter, the third daughter I'd waited for. We wanted her as part of the family. If Edward ever agreed to change her, I would do it in a beat of her heart, since mine no longer pulsed.

But Edward was adamantly against Bella being changed into a vampire. It all came back to Edward's beliefs about himself. He was a monster. He had no soul. He was damned. I'd tried to convince him otherwise many times. We'd talked for hours about the idea of God and a soul. We'd talked about Bella. I firmly believed that, like many other mythologies of vampires, the idea that we had no soul was false. My own family was an example of this. We worked to be better than our circumstances; to not fall to the temptation of the thirst. We lived and loved. If we had no soul, neither would be possible.

My thoughts were turned away from Bella and Edward as Esme joined me, stretched out on the floor with our shoulders and heads propped against the couch behind us. She nestled into my shoulder with a small sigh as the opening credits of the movie played. I didn't know what Alice had put in, and honestly, I didn't pay much attention to it anyway. The movie could've been pornography (though Alice knows better) and I would not have known. I had eyes only for my angel, wrapped in my arms. She was my movie. I watched her expression build as the movie plot thickened, then her surprise as it twisted, her curiosity as the mystery unwound, and finally her joy and relief at the happy ending.

"Did you like the movie, Carlisle?" Esme asked, jokingly. She knew I had barely seen a glimpse of it.

"Yes," I replied simply. "It was…very entertaining," I told her, laying a kiss on her nose. I wanted to continue down her lovely face, but Edward cleared his throat behind us. I was reminded, we still had company. I would have to wait to be alone with my lovely, alluring—

Edward nudged me in the back with his foot, so quickly I doubted Bella even noticed, but it would have been enough to break a bone or two in a human.

I am sorry, Edward, I apologized silently. But in my defense, I am, biologically, only 23 years-old.

Edward only hissed one word back, barely loud enough for Esme and me to hear. "Behave."

Esme smiled up at me, laughter in her darkening, almost onyx eyes. We would have to hunt soon. I should not have let her become this thirsty, especially with Bella spending more time at the house. I had hunted with Edward earlier in the week because I'd had night shifts, long hours, and five surgeries that week. I wanted to be cautious, but in my cautiousness, I'd neglected my wife.

"We'll go hunting when Bella leaves," I whispered to her. She nodded and glanced backwards to where Bella's very human scent permeated. We were all getting better at controlling our thirst on a day to day basis.

"I can't believe we're finally going to be seniors!" Alice squealed from her spot with Jasper.

Edward laughed. "We've been seniors plenty of times before, Alice."

"But Bella hasn't," Alice pointed out.

All eyes fell on Bella where she nestled in Edward's arms. She groaned softly. "Don't remind me."

"You don't want to be a senior?" I asked.

Bella opened her mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it. "It's complicated." She looked back at Edward and I think I understood why Bella was reluctant to become a senior. Because, really, Edward would never be old enough to graduate. He would never turn eighteen. Bella still could.

I had never thought too much about age differences. Age was an illusion to us. Physically, I was 23 and Esme was 25. But really, I was over 200 years older than her. The difference in our physical age had never been an issue. The fact that we'd grown up in two completely different time periods had mattered more. At first, Esme had admitted, she'd felt almost immature, comparing her 25 to my 281. I had lived many life times, she hadn't lived one. But as the years went on, our actual ages didn't matter so much either. We loved each other. That was all that mattered. And really, that was all that mattered between Bella and Edward. That they loved each other.

"Well I'm excited," Alice continued. "You're going to love senior year, I guarantee it."

Alice babbled on as Esme and I excused ourselves. We're going to hunt, I told Edward. He nodded once. Out the kitchen door and we were free.

Esme and I ran through the trees, the stars and the moon over our heads. It was a clear night tonight, but tomorrow the clouds would roll back in. It was trickier to avoid the sunlight during the summertime when it was more common. I tended to work night shifts more often and we sometimes made the excuse of a family vacation.

We came across an elk in the mountains southeast of Forks. Esme drank most of it. She needed it more than I did.

"Better?" I asked when she sat back. Her eyes were once more topaz. The proper color. The one they were supposed to be.

"Better," Esme replied.

"I'm sorry. I—"

Esme laughed, "Carlisle, don't start now. I'm over 100 years old. I think I can take care of myself." She picked up the remains of the elk, slung it over her shoulder and walked off to take care of the body. I stood rooted in place, watching her go with admiration. When I didn't follow her, Esme turned to look back at me.

"Are you coming? You are a better digger than I am."

I laughed and she joined me beneath the stars and the moon against the deep, midnight blue sky.

**A/N2: I know there's some fluff at the end, but who doesn't like Carlisle and Esme fluff? Next chapter, the ill-fated birthday.**


	40. Chapter 40: Joanie

**A/N: So I wrote up the events of the entire birthday party in my notebook and then realize, expletive that's A LOT! So I decided to break it up into three chapters, which I will attempt to post today and tomorrow. Today I'm posting the first part, a little Carlisle and patient interaction. The second should follow by the end of the day, and it will be the first part of the party. Then the third part will more than likely be Carlisle and Bella. So I hope you stick with me and for you super speedy readers, while you wait for my slower typing, why don't you go read one of my other stories and Review!**

**Thanks in advanced for understanding, and thanks so much for your positive feedback. Keep it up guys! Everybody likes to know if people like their writing. I promise things will pick up now.**

**Read, Review, Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 40: Joanie_

Today was Bella's 18th birthday. As if Alice would let any of us forget. As soon as the clock had struck midnight, Alice was off. She already had the house decorated by four, when I was preparing to start my shift at the hospital. All the presents, wrapped in silver paper, sat on a small table by the piano. The cake waited in the refrigerator, the only scrap of food in the entire house. Alice and Esme had decorated it themselves in pink. Pink roses were everywhere as I moved through the downstairs, towards the door. I was going in early today so I was sure to be home for Bella's party.

Esme and I had gotten Bella a special present. Actually, two presents. We'd bought her a voucher for two plane tickets to visit her mother in Jacksonville, Florida. We weren't sure if Charlie would let Bella go with Edward, but Alice was hopeful. Or present was a slim package in the short stack on the table.

Esme caught me at the door. "Don't be late," she warned me "You know Alice would be very angry."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "We wouldn't want Alice to be upset now. I'll be home." I gave Esme one last kiss and left, my bag I one hand, the keys to my Mercedes in the other.

The hospital was slow at first, but around nine, a tractor trailer accident came in. The truck had drifted and clipped a tree before ricocheting off, into the oncoming lane, and hitting a mini-van, of all things.

The truck driver was okay, just a row of contusions across his chest where the seat belt halted his motion. But the passengers of the mini-van, a family of three, weren't in such great shape.

The father, who'd been driving the car, had been killed on impact. But the mother from the passenger's seat and the little girl in the back seat, were brought into the hospital in a rush. The mother was in critical condition, while the little girl's injuries, were serious, but not as life threatening. The ER doctor on duty received the mother, unconscious with multiple lacerations, fractures, and possibly even internal hemorrhaging. I was called in for the little girl.

She'd been in the very back of the van, in the seat farthest from where the truck hit. She was lucky. They brought the girl in on a backboard as a precaution against possible head and neck injury. She was awake and asking for her parents. I met the stretcher at the emergency room door.

"What are we looking at, Brett?" I asked the EMT on duty.

"Multiple contusions on the right side and lacerations from shattered glass. The car fish-tailed and hit a tree. Back windows shattered. Then she's got bruises from the seatbelt and we think at least one broken rib on the right."

The stretcher was transferred from emergency crew to the hospital crew. I nodded goodbye to Brett and followed it.

"Get some x-rays," I told the ER nurse. "Then we need to get that glass out of those wounds. Have sutures ready."

"Yes, Dr. Cullen," she replied.

I waited for the x-rays before going to see the girl. She had two broken ribs, but miraculously, that was all that was broken. Before meeting her, I looked over her chart. Joan McCauley. Eight-years old.

A nurse was already working on the girl's glass-ridden arm. The girl watched with morbid curiosity. She didn't seem to be in pain, which meant she'd already been given a painkiller.

"I'll take it from here, Mary," I told the nurse. The girl looked up, her brown eyes meeting my fading topaz as I sat down in the chair the nurse had just occupied. I was hit by the scent of her blood as soon as I'd opened the door. I was a little thirsty, but nothing I couldn't handle. I was surprised I even felt thirsty. It must've been because I hadn't fed in a little while.

Mary left as I went to work on the remainder of the glass still embedded in Joan's arm.

"Hello," I greeted her, "I'm Dr. Cullen. I'm going to be taking care of you for now."

"I'm Joanie McCauley," the little girl replied. Instead of staring at her arm as she had with the nurse, Joanie was staring at me, most particularly, my face.

"Does anything hurt right now, Joanie?" I asked, attempting to take her mind off me. I didn't need an eight-year old putting my family in danger at the moment.

"No," Joanie replied. "The nurse gave me a shot that made my arm feel weird, but it doesn't hurt anymore."

I nodded; that had given her pain meds.

"I've never seen eyes that color before, Dr. Cullen," Joanie commented.

I almost groaned aloud. My eyes. My one changeable feature, too changeable. Our most obvious difference. What was I going to do? I had to redirect her focus. But to what?

"I got them from my mother," I replied. I didn't like calling attention to her parents. Her father was dead and her mother was critically injured. She didn't know yet. And I didn't relish the thought of being the one to tell her. But I had to distract her from me.

My comment did the trick.

"Do you know what happened to my mom and dad? They were in the van too. Are they here?"

Now came the dreaded part. "Your mother is here," I confirmed. "Another doctor is taking care of her." I made the mistake of looking up into her two eyes. Green. Green was such an interesting color. It wasn't very common. My thoughts fell back to another patient, long ago, who'd also had green eyes. He was struggling again, but this time, I couldn't simply bite him and make everything work out.

"I don't know about your father," I lied quietly. I refocused on pulling the last of the glass from her arm. The nurse had brought the materials for stitches. Joanie would need about twelve, total. I stitched her up and wrapped a bandage around her wound, though now that the skin was mostly closed there was less blood. It was becoming easier to breathe around her. I checked her for a concussion (she didn't seem to have one, surprisingly) and looked over the x-rays of her ribs. She had two cracks. More than likely it was from the seatbelt, like the bruises across her stomach and her chest. I didn't think there was any other damage; still we would monitor her for signs of internal bleeding and a concussion.

Joanie kept me busy until I had to perform a knee surgery, which spanned the final hours until the end of my shift. I check in on Joanie (she was sleeping) and my other patients before signing out and heading home. It had been an eventful day at the hospital and I still had a birthday party that night.


	41. Chapter 41: Happy Birthday

**A/N: Here's the next chapter in the whole Birthday party. I'm not going to post the third part until tomorrow, unless you guys give me a bunch of reviews (wink, wink). No, really, I'm only posting these two chapters today because my hands hurt from this typing. Sorry, but I hope you review anyway. Please?**

**This chapter covers the tense part and the first section of Bella and Carlisle's talk. I hope you like it. Sorry in advanced for typos, but I really wanted to get this out to you guys ASAP. Again I hope you like it!**

**-Wish**

**P.S. I won't be writing for a while because I'll be backpacking from June 26****th**** to July 11****th**** in New Mexico. Yay! Unfortunately, no computers and notebooks are HEAVY to carry, so that's out. Sorry, but I'll update as soon as I can when I get home.**

_Chapter 41: Happy Birthday_

Upon arriving at home, I found Alice in a frenzy. She alternated between having a vision and rearranging the living room. Jasper sat on the stairs, watching. He was out of Alice's line of sight, but still able to see her. Something told me this was a strategic move so that he was not caught up in Alice's wake.

"Carlisle." I heard Esme's whisper, but only barely. She was in the kitchen. I set my bag down on the hall table and slipped into the kitchen, not wishing to get in Alice's way any more than Jasper.

Esme was waiting for me in the kitchen with Rosalie and Emmett!

"Hey, pops!" Emmett greeted me. He gave me a whole-hearted hug and a thump on the back that probably would've broken my spine had it been a bit more fragile. As it was, it hurt.

"Welcome back, Emmett," I replied smiling. It was wonderful to see my biggest son again. He and Rose had left at the beginning of the summer for Africa to live alone for a little while. They must've returned while I was working.

"Hi, Carlisle," Rose said. She stepped forward and gave me a hug too, though she was tense. Obviously she didn't want to be here, most likely because it was a party for Bella. Rosalie still held animosity towards her.

"It's good to see you again, Rose," I told her. I stepped back and addressed the two of them. "How long are you staying?"

"A week tops," Emmett replied. "We didn't want to miss Bella's party. This can only be good." He grinned. Rosalie's expression didn't change from one of measured cool. Obviously she could've missed Bella's party.

"Carlisle! What are you still doing like that?!"

Alice had seen me.

"You have to get changed now! Bella's going to be here at seven!"

I looked at the clock in the kitchen. It was four PM. "Alice, that's three hours from now. Why don't—"Esme laid a finger over my lips, giving me a warning look and glancing back at Alice. The message was clear. Just do as she says. I took my bag and ran up the stairs at vampire speed. There wasn't any doubt in my mind now why Jasper had been hiding from Alice. And I was going to take a leaf out of his book until around seven, when Bella and Edward arrived.

"Carlisle!"

"Alice, there is no need for that; I can hear you perfectly well," I replied in a normal tone. Alice was downstairs, but we all had vampire hearing. Shouting was unnecessary. I descended the stairs to meet Esme. Alice took a look over my clothes and pronounced them "passable". I was dressed in one of my nice suits, one that Esme had picked out. I joined Esme by the door, taking her hand in mine and giving her a light kiss.

"They just pulled in," she whispered. I could hear Bella's truck even three miles away. It was easy to make out the rumbling as it drove down our driveway, to the house. I assumed Edward was driving; Bella would never negotiate our twisting drive that fast.

Rosalie and Emmett waited just behind us. Emmett fidgeted excitedly. Jasper and Alice were a little farther away. Jasper decided to keep back, for safety again. He and Alice had been hunting earlier in the week.

As the truck stopped and its exceedingly loud engine cut off, we could hear Edward and Bella better.

"Sure," Bella muttered, in response to some sort of comment. We heard the thunk of a door and another click half a second later. "I have a question."

I didn't hear Edward's response, only Bella. "If I develop this film, will you show up in the picture?"

Emmett snickered and Esme smiled. It was an old vampire superstition that we don't show up on film or in mirrors. It was entirely false, just look at the pictures in my office.

Edward laughed too. We heard them on the steps (Bella's footsteps and Edward's laughter) and the door opened.

"Happy Birthday, Bella!" It'd been a lifetime since we'd said that to anyone, much less a human. The last birthday party had been Emmett's in 1935; Alice and Jasper hadn't been with us then.

Bella looked around at Alice's decorations. Her expression looked like she was being led to the execution block, rather than her own birthday party. Esme gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

I stepped forward and gave her a light hug before whispering in a loud voice. "Sorry about this, Bella. We couldn't rein Alice in."

Esme and I stepped aside for Emmett and Rosalie. Emmett couldn't have a wider grin on his face. Rose just looked passive, not greeting her, but also not attempting to rip out her throat or kill her with a look.

Bella blushed, but smiled at Emmett.

"You haven't changed at all," Emmett teased. "I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always."

Bella's cheeks went from a light pink to a deeper red, but she smiled. I glanced at Jasper to make sure that he was alright. He didn't seem to be bothered too much by Bella's blush. "Thanks a lot, Emmett."

Emmett's deep guffaw boomed through the house as it hadn't for months. "I have to step out for a second," he said, winking conspiratorially at Alice. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."

"I'll try," Bella replied dryly.

As Emmett left, Alice flitted forward, smiling brightly. Jasper smiled to Bella from his position near the stairs, staying cautiously back.

"Time to open presents," Alice told her, taking her by the elbow and dragging her towards the table by the piano that held the small pile of silver-wrapped presents and Alice's and Esme's cake.

Bella looked like someone had just condemned her to be burned at the stake (I would know what that looks like). "Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything—"

"But I didn't listen," Alice interrupted.

She never does, I thought. Edward grinned at me.

"Open it," Alice ordered as she replaced the camera in Bella's hand with a square box, the largest in the group. This was Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett's present. Bella ripped off the paper and stared at the box, dumb-founded. It was a car stereo, a really nice one. Emmett was outside, installing it. But Bella didn't seem to realize that. She opened the box to find it empty.

Rosalie smiled, amused, and Jasper laughed at her expression. "It's a stereo for your truck," he told her. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it."

Bella actually grinned for real. "Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie. Thanks, Emmett!" she called outside.

Emmett laughed from the driveway.

Alice didn't wait before starting Bella on another present. "Open mine and Edward's next."

Bella glared at Edward. "You promised."

Emmett returned as we all moved in closer to get a good look at what Alice and Edward had gotten Bella. I didn't know about this one. "Just in time!" Emmett squeezed in just behind Jasper.

"I didn't spend a dime," Edward swore.

Bella took a deep breath. "Give it to me," she said, turning to Alice.

Emmett chuckled as Bella took the package. She rolled her eyes at Emmett as she began to tear off the paper.

Bella jerked her hand back as the silver wrapping paper bit into her finger. I immediately smelled the blood and a split second later, Edward dived in front of her.

"No!" Edward screamed as Jasper lunged. Bella was thrown backwards as Jasper collided with Edward. Bella fell on the table, which shattered, and threw her arms out to stop her fall. The glass shards sliced open her arms, drawing more blood. Edward struggled against Jasper, who was snapping and snarling ravenously as he attempted to get to Bella. Emmett grabbed him from behind, pulling him off Edward.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside," I ordered.

Emmett nodded once, serious. "Come on, Jasper."

He hauled his brother out the door as Jasper struggled, overwhelmed by the bloodlust. Rosalie got between Jasper and Bella and followed Emmett out the door that Esme held open. I could see the struggle on my angel's face. She wanted to star and help Bella, but at the same time, she was fighting her own bloodlust.

Edward crouched over Bella, not breathing, defensive. He was prepared to stop anyone else who lost control.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Esme apologized, before following Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper out the door.

I turned towards Bella, but Edward still crouched in my way. "Let me by, Edward," I said. I'm fine and she needs me, I added silently.

Edward nodded and relaxed, letting me approach Bella. I knelt to look at her arm. There was too much glass in it. All of it would have to be removed. Thankfully, it looked like no major arteries had been severed, but there was still too much blood. We needed to stop it to avoid blood loss and to remove temptation.

"Here, Carlisle," Alice offered me a towel. I shook my head though.

"Too much glass in the wound," I explained. Since I couldn't apply pressure with all that glass, I would have to use a tourniquet again. This was the second time this year. Tourniquets should really be a last resort. I ripped off a strip from the bottom of the table cloth that'd been over the gifts table, and tied it just above Bella's elbow, tight. Bella already was pale, but she'd lost any color in her face.

"Bella, do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you like me to take care of it here?" I'd rather have taken care of it at the hospital where I could have a sterile environment and not be at risk for a rampant, bloodthirsty vampire to crash through the wall and attack me.

"Here, please," Bella whispered.

"I'll get your bag." Alice raced up to my office where I kept my doctor's bag and a few extra medical supplies I'd gotten after Bella's attack last spring.

I looked to Edward. He still wasn't breathing and I could see the tension in his posture. "Let's take her to the kitchen," I said to him.

Edward supported Bella while I kept the pressure on her arm to slow the blood flow.

"How are you doing, Bella?" I asked.

"I'm fine." She seemed to be lucid, which was a good sign.

Alice waited with my bag and a desk lamp on the kitchen table. Edward placed Bella in a chair and I pulled another around so that I could easily work on her arm. I pulled out a needle and painkiller and began measuring out a proper dosage. Edward watched protectively.

"Just go, Edward," Bella told him. She could see the tension in him too.

"I can handle it," Edward replied.

"You don't need to be a hero. Carlisle can fix me p without your help. Get some fresh air."

I stuck the needle into her arm and Bella winced. "I'll stay," Edward declared.

"Why are you so masochistic?" Bella murmured. I could see this was going nowhere.

"Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far," I suggested. "I'm sure he's upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now."

"Yes," Bella agreed. "Go find Jasper."

I went to work with a set of needle-nosed tweezers on the glass embedded in Bella's arm. The painkiller should've numbed it enough by now.

"You may as well do something useful," Alice interjected.

Edward focused on us as he looked at Alice and my thoughts.

Go, Edward. I'll take care of her, I promised him.

He nodded once and left out the kitchen door.

I continued picking out the pieces of glass. There was a lot. As much as Joanie, if not more! A few moments later, Alice gave up the fight and followed Edward out. Now it was just Bella and I.

"Well, that's everyone," she commented. "I can clear a room, at least."

"It's not your fault," I replied, laughing quietly. "It could happen to anyone."

"Could," Bella corrected, "But it usually just happens to me."

I laughed at Bella's sarcasm. She did get into a lot of trouble. She'd managed to find the largest coven of vampires in Washington State, if not the continental U.S. And this was the second time in not even a year of knowing our family that she was seriously injured.

"How can you do this?" Bella asked. "Even Alice and Esme…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"Years and years of practice," I replied. "I barely notice the scent anymore."

"Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time? And weren't around any blood?"

"Maybe," I shrugged. "I've never felt the need for an extended holiday." I smiled at her, "I enjoy work too much."

"What is it that you enjoy?" Bella inquired.

"Hmm." Nobody had really asked me that. It was an interesting question. "What I enjoy the very most is when my…enhanced abilities let me save someone who would otherwise have been lost. It's pleasant knowing that, thanks to what I can do, some people's lives are better because I exist. Even the sense of smell is a useful diagnostic tool at times." I grinned as I thought of one such case earlier in the week. Mr. Hudson, a surgery patient, had caught pneumonia during his recovery. I'd smelled it on him and had ordered the proper tests. We'd caught it early, and so he was able to avoid a possibly life-threatening illness.

I examined the wound closely in the light the lamp gave, not seeing any more glass. I wiped off the tweezers with a disinfectant wipe and replaced them in my bag before pulling out a needle and the proper thread for sutures. Bella spoke again as I began sewing the gash closed. This was the second time today, I thought, ironically.

"You try very hard to make up for something that was never your fault." I glanced up at her face as I pulled the thread through. She seemed to be focused on mine, avoiding looking down. She continued, "What I mean is, it's not like you asked for this. You didn't choose this kind of life, and yet you have to work so hard to be good."

"I don't know that I'm making up for anything," I disagreed. "Like everything in life, I just had to decide what to do with what I was given."

Bella sighed, "That makes it sound too easy."

I looked over her arm as I tied off the stitch and cut the thread. "There. All done." I swabbed iodine over the sutures and then covered it with gauze.

Bella prodded further as I taped the gauze to her skin. "In the beginning, though. Why did you think to try a different way than the obvious one?"

"Hasn't Edward told you this story?" I asked, thinking back to when Bella had first visited the family.

"Yes," Bella replied, "But I'm trying to understand what you were thinking…"

I think we'd gotten to the base of Bella's questions. She was trying to understand why Edward refused to change her.


	42. Chapter 42: Elizabeth's Decision

**A/N: Here it is, the last of three chapters concerning the birthday. I hope you like it, it's more of Bella and Carlisle talking, and then wrapping it up at the end with Esme and Carlisle. Please review and tell me what you think!**

**-Wish**

**P.S. This will be my last post until about mid-July, since I'm going to where I don't have access to internet. Thanks to everyone who is still reading this. I know it's really long. I promise to have a chapter for you when I get back.**

_Chapter 42: Elizabeth's Decision_

"You know my father way a clergyman," I said. I began to wipe down the table, meticulous about every splatter of blood. "He had a rather harsh view of the world, which I was already beginning to question before the time that I was changed." I wiped the table down again with alcohol and then, taking all the gauze and shards of glad, placed them in a bowl. I lit a match and tossed it into the bloody mess. Bella jumped as the fire flared from the alcohol.

"Sorry," I apologized. It was really the easiest way to get rid of blood. "That ought to do it…so I didn't agree with my father's particular brand of faith. But never, in the nearly four hundred years now since I was born, have I ever seen anything to make me doubt whether God exists in some form or the other. Not even the reflection in the mirror."

Bella seemed surprised as she looked over the gauze dressing. I doubted she expected to hear someone like me, believing in God.

"I'm sure all this sounds a little bizarre, coming from a vampire." She looked shocked that I'd used the term "vampire". But I grinned. We didn't bother masking the truth at home. "But I'm hoping that there is still a point to this life, even for us. It's a long shot, I'll admit. By all accounts, we're damned regardless. But I hope, maybe foolishly, that we'll get some measure of credit for trying."

"I don't think that's foolish," Bella murmured. "And I don't think that anyone else would, either," she added.

I was surprised. "Actually," I told her, "You're the very first one to agree with me."

Bella looked surprised to hear that. "The rest of them don't feel the same?"

She must've been thinking of Edward. "Edward's with me up to a part," I explained. "God and heaven exist…and so does hell. But he doesn't believe that there is an afterlife for our kind."

The thought made me feel pity for my wonderful son, as I looked out the kitchen window, into the dark forest. Edward's outlook was so bleak. "You see, he thinks we've lost our souls."

"That's the real problem, isn't it? That's why he's being so difficult about me," Bella concluded.

I spoke again, carefully. "I look at my…son. His strength, his goodness, the brightness that shines out of him—and it only fuels that hope, that faith, more than ever. How could there not be more for one such as Edward?" I asked.

Bella nodded vigorously. She could see the goodness in him. That's why she loved him. That's also why she agreed.

"But if I believed as he does…" I looked to her. I wanted to help her understand. It wasn't that Edward didn't want her. It was that he was trying to protect her. "If you believed as he did. Could you take away his soul?"

Bella paused. She hadn't been expecting a question like mine, I could tell. She had been expecting me to ask her if she was willing to throw away her own soul. I had no doubt that answer would've been, "Yes, for Edward". But she didn't seem sure about this question. This was the dilemma Edward faced, in his mind at least.

"You see the problem."

Bella stubbornly shook her head no. I sighed.

"It's my choice," Bella insisted.

"It's his too," I reminded her. Bella looked about to protest, but I stopped her. "Whether he is responsible for doing that to you."

"He's not the only one to do it." Bella looked to me and I could see the wheels turning in her mind.

I laughed. "Oh, no! You're going to have to work this out with him." I wasn't about to get into the middle of that quarrel. It was hard enough deciding for the others. I wasn't about to go against one of their wishes. Especially when, with the exception of particularly bad luck, Bella was perfectly healthy.

I found myself sighing. "That's the one part I can never be sure of," I admitted. "I think, in most other ways, that I've done the best I could with what I have to work with. But was it right to doom the others to this life? I can't decide."

Bella didn't say anything. She simply stared out the dark, kitchen window with me, lost in her own thoughts.

"It was Edward's mother who made up my mind," I said, softly. As I stared at the window, the reflection seemed to warp, showing me the bronze-haired woman with green eyes from 1918. I remembered it perfectly, even after all those years.

"His mother?" I realized that, more than likely, Edward hadn't told Bella about his mother. I wasn't sure he remembered. He'd been sick with the Spanish Influenza when she'd died.

"Yes," I replied. "Her name was Elizabeth. Elizabeth Masen. His father, Edward Senior, never regained consciousness in the hospital. He died in the first wave of the influenza. But Elizabeth was alert until almost the very end." I could almost see the hospital room in the Quarantine Ward in Chicago. The nurses, the hundreds of patients, the disease, and death. It was not a pleasant sight to remember. "Edward looks a great deal like her—she had the same strange bronze shade to her hair, and her eyes were exactly the same color green."

"His eyes were green?" Bella repeated.

"Yes…" I remembered Elizabeth Masen and a human Edward, sick, suffering, dying. "Elizabeth worried obsessively about her son. She hurt her own chances of survival trying to nurse him from her sickbed. I expected that he would go first, he was so much worse off than she was. When the end came for her, it was very quick. It was just after sunset, and I'd arrived to relieve the doctors who'd been working all day. That was a hard time to pretend—there was so much work to be done, and I had no need of rest." My words turned bitter on my tongue as I thought back to the wasted time. "How I hated to go back to my house, to hide in the dark and pretend to sleep while so many were dying." That had been the worst part of the Influenza. The waiting. The restrictions.

"I went to check Elizabeth and her son first. I'd grown attached—always a dangerous thing to do considering the fragile nature of humans. I could see at once that she'd taken a bad turn. The fever was raging out of control, and her body was too weak to fight anymore.

"She didn't look weak, though, when she glared up at me from her cot."

I could still see that look. Edward could glare like his mother. "'Save him!' she commanded me in the hoarse voice that was all her throat could manage.

"'I'll do everything in my power,' I promised her, taking her hand. The fever was so high, she probably wouldn't even tell how unnaturally cold mine felt. Everything felt cold to her skin.

"'You must,' she insisted, clutching at my hand with enough strength that I wondered if she wouldn't pull through the crisis after all. Her eyes were hard, like stones, like emeralds. 'You must do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward.'

"It frightened me," I admitted. "She looked at me with those piercing eyes, and, for one instant, I felt certain that she knew my secret. Then the fever overwhelmed her, and she never regained consciousness. She died within an hour of making her demand."

I blinked a few times and the memory of Elizabeth drifted back to be replaced with Edward.

"I'd spent decades considering the idea of creating a companion for myself. Just one other creature who could really know me, rather than what I pretended to be. But I could never justify it to myself—doing what had been done to me.

"There Edward lay, dying. It was clear that he had only hours left. Besides him, his mother, her face somehow not yet peaceful, not even in death."

I could see it all before me as if the events had happened only yesterday. I could see the human Edward, hot with a fever, weak, waiting for the end. I could see Elizabeth Masen in the bed next to him, already dead, but somehow still holding me to my final promise to her.

"Elizabeth's words echoed in my head. How could she guess what I could do? Could anyone really want that for her son?

"I looked at Edward. Sick as he was, he was still beautiful. There was something pure and good about his face. The kind of face I would have wanted my son to have.

"After all those years of indecision, I simply acted on a whim. I wheeled his mother to the morgue first, and then I came back for him. No one noticed that he was still breathing. There weren't enough hands, enough eyes, to keep track of half of what the patients needed. The morgue was empty—of the living, at least, I stole him out the back door, and carried him across the rooftops back to my home.

"I wasn't sure what had to be done. I settled for recreating the wounds I'd received myself, so many centuries earlier in London. I felt bad about that later. It was more painful and lingering than necessary.

"I wasn't sorry, though. I've never been sorry that I saved Edward." I sighed and shook my head, bringing my mind back to the present. I smiled at Bella. I was glad for the bit of time I'd spent with her, even though it was at the expense of her health and her birthday party. "I suppose I should take you home now."

"I'll do that." Edward walked in from the dining room. His expression was cool, but almost one hundred years of living with Edward told me, right away, something was extremely wrong. Something bigger than this accident.

Edward, are you sure? I don't have a problem with taking Bella home.

"Carlisle can take me," Bella said, as if she's read my thoughts rather than Edward.

"I'm fine," Edward replied to both of us. "You'll need to change anyway. You'd give Charlie a heart attack the way you look. I'll have Alice get you something."

I watched Edward as he left. Something was definitely wrong. Something bigger.

Bella picked p on Edward's mood. "He's very upset," she said to me, anxious.

"Yes," I agreed. "Tonight is exactly the kind of thing that he fears the most. You being put in danger because of what we are."

"It's not his fault."

"It's not yours, either."

Bella looked down, not meeting my gaze. I smiled and moved to help her stand before escorting her back to the living room. My Esme was mopping the floor with bleach, the guaranteed way to get rid of the odor of blood.

"Esme, let me do that," Bella offered unnecessarily.

"I'm already done," Esme replied. She smiled warmly at Bella. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Bella replied. That seemed to be her answer to any injury. "Carlisle sews faster than any other doctor I've had."

I laughed. Considering how many times Bella must've been to the emergency room, I took that as a great compliment.

Alice and Edward returned, Alice moving forward as if nothing had gone wrong, Edward remaining back, brooding.

"C'mon, I'll get you something less macabre to wear," Alice suggested.

Bella's shirt was ruined. Blood and pink icing stained the fabric thoroughly. Charlie would have a fit if Bella returned home as she was. I doubt he would let her visit ever again.

Alice and Bella returned a few minutes later, Bella wearing one of my wife's blouses that was similar to her original. Edward waited by the door and ushered them out silently.

"Take your things," Alice reminded Bella. "You can thank my later, when you've opened them." Edward grabbed the last two presents (his and Alice's half opened and Esme and mine untouched) and Bella's camera, and handed them to her. He was being very quiet, which, for my son, was never a good sign.

"Goodnight Bella," I said. "Take care of that cut. You don't want to get an infection."

Bella nodded, then turned to Esme. "I'm sorry."

"Everything is fine, dear," Esme assured her. "Have a goodnight. And happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Esme and I watched as Edward and Bella left in her truck.

"We're going to have to speak as a family when Edward get's home," I told her.

Esme nodded her agreement. "It's unfortunate, that such a happy day should be ruined. I feel so horrible."

I kissed her forehead gently. "It was an accident."

"But Edward will see it as his fault. And so will Jasper."

I would've liked to think otherwise, but I knew Esme was right. This accident would have consequences. Far-reaching consequences.


	43. Chapter 43: Consequences

**A/N: I'm back! Dun-dun-duuun! Just kidding. **

**So I promised you guys a new chapter and here it is. Don't ever say I don't follow through on my promises. I wrote this all on the plane ride out to Denver. I also have another chapter for you guys that I wrote on the plane ride back from Denver. But that might take a little while to get up because I have some tweaking I want to do.**

**As always, reviews are highly appreciated. I want to thank all you guys who review on a consistent basis. They really do make an author feel good about themselves, unless they're flames. But I haven't had any real problem with those yet. I hope I never have to.**

**Don't forget, Read, Review, and Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 43: Consequences_

The consequences from the accident at Bella's party were almost immediate. Jasper didn't return to the house until the next morning. He was a mess, physically and emotionally. Blood spattered his nice clothing from the party. Obviously he'd been hunting, a lot. His hair was ragged and he was muddy. He had a wild look in his eye. I could tell, inside, he was tearing himself apart. He was kicking himself over and over again, cursing his lack of control.

"I can't risk staying," he said. "I have to work on my control."

"Jasper." Esme's voice broke as he addressed us, the morning before Edward and Alice were to go to school. Everyone had been quiet and pensive since last night, Edward in particular. He spoke up as Esme began to plead with Jasper.

"No, Jazz," he said. "It's not just you leaving. It's all of us."

I was stunned. We all were. It wasn't the first time this had come up; we'd moved countless times before. But this was the first time anyone had brought up the possibility of us leaving Forks since Bella moved into town last March. After Edward fell in love with her, it wasn't an option anymore. None of us expected him to bring it up.

"Edward," I managed to break the silence. "Don't you feel that is unnecessary? You and Alice still have senior year, and Bella—"

"Almost died twice because of what we are!"

Jasper winced at Edward's strong emotion and his words.

"Edward," I tried again, but he stopped me.

"It's time to move on, Carlisle, you know it is. People will start getting suspicious. How old are you claiming?"

I sighed. "Thirty-three," I muttered. Esme and I had started older than we usually did so that I could use more of my credentials.

"And that's pushing it. Face it," he challenged, looking around to each of us, "It's time to move on. And we should do it now, before anything more happens to Bella. We can make a clean break, no prolonged goodbyes or anything. It will be as if we weren't even there, and she'll move on…"

His voice trailed off as he ended up staring out the window wall of the living room. All of us were silent, still stunned at Edward's unexpected solution. It was Esme, who finally stood and embraced Edward.

"She might move on, Edward," Esme said gently, "but will you? You've waited so long for someone like Bella. She's changed you. I don't know if you'll mend as she may."

Edward looked away from the window and down at my angel. His expression softened only an instant, before returning to the serious, distant mask he'd adopted since the accident. "It's better for her this way. Bella will be safer without me, without us."

It pained me to see all the turmoil this was causing. Jasper was upset at what he'd done, Edward was convinced Bella would be better off without him (which I didn't truly believe myself), and Alice seemed stunned as she looked to the future. I was reminded that Alice would be losing a best friend in this move also.

Edward, this seems a little rash. Shouldn't we give this time? I thought.

"More time for something to happen to her?" Edward asked. He sighed and took a step towards me, facing me head-on. "Carlisle, this is the only way Bella can be safe. We have to leave, now."

Edward wasn't budging on his view. I looked to the rest of the family. Rosalie and Emmett were leaving again anyway. They had spoken of a second honeymoon in Europe. Jasper was set on leaving, whether we did or not. Alice would more than likely go with him. Bella was her friend, but Jasper was her other half. She wouldn't leave him. Esme simply wanted her family to remain together, and it seemed the only way to do that would be to leave Forks.

I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to give up the hope that Edward and Bella would work out. I'd seen the change in Edward that Esme had spoken of. We all had. He was happier with Bella. Leaving her, I wasn't sure what would happen to him. I didn't want him returning to how he was before, or falling even farther. I wanted him to stay happy. I wanted my family to stay happy. But it seemed I had no other choice. The only way to keep the family together, was to move.

I nodded. "Alright. We'll pack up and leave tonight," I announced. Edward nodded once and turned to go upstairs, but I stopped him.

Edward, I said, silently, you need to stay for a day or so. You need to explain to Bella and to say goodbye. She deserves that much.

"Carlisle, I'm not sure that's a good idea," he whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. They were already packing the few personal items we would take.

Edward, I've taught you better than that, I scolded. You will not run away. We leave now because you asked us to go without saying goodbye. I respect that wish, but I will request that you settle things with Bella.

I couldn't make him stay behind. But I did request it, and Edward took the few requests I made of him into deep consideration. He was silent for a while, before nodding once.

"I'll stay, Carlisle," he agreed.

"Good." I nodded once and then left upstairs to begin the process of moving all over again.

The official story would be, I got a sudden offer from a hospital in LA. We'd move without a big production, and Edward would stay behind only a day or so to say goodbye. I think I'd move the family east again. We needed to get away from the memories on the west coast. We'd start anew in New England.

I started looking for a house and a job on the east coast. I found both in New York. It was a nice, two-story house just north of Ithaca. It was remote, in the woods, and it was a historic home, one Esme could restore. It would take her mind off events here.

I ended up interviewing over the phone for a position as a night-shift doctor in Ithaca. New England wasn't as rainy and constantly cloudy as the Olympic Peninsula. Night-shift would be easier.

Then it was a matter of sending my resignation to the hospital in Forks. This, I would do in person, today before my evening shift, so they could get someone to fill my space tonight. I drafted my letter and printed it out, signing it like I had many times before. Then it was a matter of packing the personal things from my office. Esme would get the King James Bible and other things from our bedroom.

I pulled out the boxes from the last move and began taking down the photos and paintings that had hung in every house we've lived in. I had a sort of ritual for taking them down and putting them up. I put them up in order, always beginning with the Waggoner painting of London. And then, when it came time to move again, I took them down in reverse order, ending with the London of my childhood. It was a pattern I repeated at every house. I'd performed it countless times before, but it took longer and longer each time.

This time, I started with the most recent. It was a picture Esme had taken this summer. I doubted any of the kids had known it was taken.

We were in the field, playing baseball again. Alice was pitching; I was up to bat with Edward behind me, catching. Jasper was beyond Alice, at shortstop, and Emmett was in the outfield. Just behind Edward, swinging a bat in practice, was Rosalie. A little ways back, perched on a good-sized rock, was Bella. Her leg was still in a cast and her crutches were propped to one side. Her hands were up and she looked to be in mid-clap.

Based on the presence of Rosalie and Emmett, and the fact that Bella's leg was still in a cast, I assumed the picture had been taken fairly early on in the summer, before Rose and Emmett had left for "college". Esme must've been on one of the hills beyond the clearing to get the shot.

I fished out some bubble-wrap and wrapped the photo gingerly, before placing it in the box. One down.

It took an hour or so to pack all the pictures. I finished tapping up the last box with the Waggoner as my office clock read 7:39. I should turn in my resignation. I could finish packing when I got home.

I tucked the letter in my jacket pocket and picked up a few of the boxes I'd just packed. I didn't see any of the others as I made my way downstairs, balancing two boxes in my left hand and one under my arm. Vampire strength and speed did make moving a bit easier. I could hear evidence of the others packing as I passed their doors on my way downstairs. I walked outside and placed the boxes in the trunk of my Mercedes before climbing in and leaving for the hospital.


	44. Chapter 44: Resignation

**A/N: So this part was originally part of the last chapter, but I felt like I needed to break it up. It's still too short for my liking, but I feel like I need to put this out for you guys.**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 44: Resignation_

It felt odd, walking into the hospital without any intention of beginning a shift. I felt disconcerted as my co-workers moved around me, rushing to the ER, or simply walking to check on a patient. Everyone smiled at me, but somehow, I couldn't summon a smile back. Leaving Forks seemed harder than leaving any of the other places. We were much more attached here than we'd ever been.

I found Dr. Gerandy in his office. When I knocked on his door and entered at his invitation, he seemed surprised to see me.

"Carlisle? Your shift isn't until tonight. Is there a reason for your visit?" He seemed puzzled.

I removed the letter from my jacket pocket and laid it on his desk carefully. "I got a call, last night," I told him, planning my words with care, "From a hospital in Los Angeles. They want me to be chief of surgery."

Dr. Gerandy picked up the envelope and looked it over, not opening it. He seemed to be thinking something over. He bit his lip in thought and I was reminded of Bella. She did the same thing, sometimes. Edward would miss her so much.

"You accepted, of course?" Dr. Gerandy clarified.

"Yes," I confirmed.

Dr. Gerandy shook his head and sighed. "I should have seen this coming. I always said you could be chief of medicine in any hospital in any city you wanted. Congratulations, Carlisle. I wish you luck. When do they want you to start?"

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. This was the tricky part. I liked Dr. Gerandy and the hospital, here. It was a good place. "Tomorrow," I told him, "they have a heart surgery scheduled that morning. My family is already packing."

Dr. Gerandy groaned. "I'm going to lose you so soon? I need to find a replacement for your shift tonight, then. You can't work tonight and still be in LA tomorrow for a heart surgery."

Actually, I could have, but I wasn't telling Dr. Gerandy that. No human could have.

"I'm sorry, sir," I apologized, looking down at my shoes.

"Don't worry, Carlisle. I'll find somebody. Go home and finish packing." He rose from his chair and stood, extending his hand across the desk to me. I'd only shaken his hand once before, when receiving the job.

I reached across and shook it again, smiling at Dr. Gerandy. He'd been a good colleague, one of the better one's I'd known.

Dr. Gerandy frowned down at my hand. "Cold outside?"

I shrugged, removing my hand. "A bit. I'd appreciate if we didn't make a big deal out of our leaving. It's hard on the kids, Edward particularly. You understand?"

"Of course, Carlisle," Dr. Gerandy agreed. "Are they all okay?"

No, I thought, we're moving away so that one of us doesn't kill the love of my son's life. "They will be," I lied. "Take care."

"You too, Carlisle," Dr. Gerandy replied.

I returned my ID card and left as he nodded. The only person I stopped to talk to on my way out was the nurse, Brett. And even then, he stopped me.

"Dr. Cullen, I thought you had an evening shift today."

"No," I replied. "I uh…just resigned. I have an offer in LA."

Brett's smile fell. "Oh—I'm sorry to hear that. When are you leaving?"

"As soon as we finish packing. I really should get home now."

"Right." Brett nodded and held his hand out. I shook it briefly. "It was good working with you, Dr. Cullen."

"You too, Brett," I replied. "Do you mind keeping this private? I don't really want to make a big deal out of this. It's hard on the kids."

Brett nodded again. "Of course. No problem."

"Goodbye, Brett."

"Bye, Dr. Cullen."

I returned home as Emmett was packing boxes into the back of his Jeep. He nodded once and reached down to grab another box from Rosalie. I went inside, bypassing Alice and Jasper, who were taking more boxes outside. I climbed the stairs and found Esme, gently removing my father's cross from the wall. I rushed forward to help her, even though I knew it wasn't heavy for her. It was an excuse to be with my angel.

We wrapped the cross carefully in silence. I was about ready to take it downstairs to put it in my backseat, when Esme stopped me.

"Why don't you finish your office? I can take care of this."

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

Esme nodded and motioned me towards my office door, before lifting up the cross and carrying it towards the stairs. I did as she told me and went to continue packing. Stepping inside, my office felt empty already. Laying my jacket across my chair, I got to work on what I would take. Some of it would stay here. We'd keep this house, I was sure. We had too many ties to Forks. I couldn't bring myself to accept that this would be the last time we lived here. It couldn't be. Someday, we'd return.


	45. Chapter 45: Falling Apart

**A/N: Okay, sorry this has taken so long people, but it is a hard chapter, and they will only get harder as the Cullens progress through the events of New Moon. I'll try to get up another chapter soon, but I start school again the 21****st**** so, don't expect a lot to happen after then. Gotta focus.**

**I have to make a credit here. Surfing Fanfiction, I came across a wonderful story titled "Ithaca is Gorges". Basically, it is another author's version of New Moon from the Cullens' perspective. Before you say anything, I am not plagiarizing. I am placing Carlisle at the same hospital that the author of "Ithaca is Gorges", Giselle-lx, did. It's called Cayuga Medical Center. The main reason I did this is because it is a plausible placement for Carlisle in Ithaca. I have already spoken to Giselle-lx and have gotten her permission to do this, as long as I include this citation. So here it is, in print. I highly recommend checking out the story. It is VERY good.**

**That's all for now. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Read, REVIEW, and Pass it on!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 45: Falling Apart_

The transition to the house in Ithaca was by far one of our rockiest. And not just because we were moving back to the east coast. Forks had been an important place for all of us. And Rosalie hadn't been the only one who was against the transition. Alice wasn't her normal self for about a month after moving. She was outwardly cheerful as ever, but she'd lost a certain spark in her eye that was all her own.

Not two weeks after the move, Emmett and Rosalie left again, this time for Europe. The trip wasn't a sudden decision; they'd been talking about a second honeymoon for a few years now. The trip was simply bumped up after Rosalie declared she didn't want to live with this "depressing, sorry excuse for a family" anymore. Emmett had finished the necessary arrangements and they were gone with promises to write.

In some ways, Rosalie had been right. After meeting us at the house, just two days after the rest of us had arrived, Edward had slumped into almost a vegetable-like state. He barely did anything beyond what was necessary. He hunted, but only once every few weeks. He didn't sleep of course, but he lay on the couch in his bedroom for hours on end, not speaking, not even shuffling an inch. He stopped listening to music, or playing it, even though Esme had bought him another piano. He didn't interact with other members of the family; he didn't even come downstairs unless it was to hunt. And when he hunted, he hunted alone, refusing to let anyone of us accompany him.

To say I was worried would have been a gross understatement. Edward's downright catatonic state occupied much of my time. I tried to think of ways I could make things better, not just for him, but for the entire family. I had moved them out here because it seemed like the only way to keep everyone together. But now it seemed as if we were falling even further apart. Because of Edward's mood, Jasper kept out of the house. He enrolled for the fall semester at Cornell, in Manhattan, taking courses in philosophy. Although he didn't stay in a dorm on campus, he spent most of his time there, either in the library, or simply wandering New York City. Alice often joined him, claiming she had research of her own to do. Because of my own busy work schedule at Cayuga Medical Center, I would sometimes not see them for a full week.

Esme threw herself whole-heartedly into the house in order to find some escape from the issues that were tearing our family apart. She began to restore the house, which was a historical site. The search for as much original furniture as possible occupied Esme almost as much as working at the hospital occupied me. She worked methodically, stripping one room of its peeling wallpaper or rotting floors, and completely overhauling it until the room was barely recognizable. At first, when they'd still been home, Rosalie and Emmett helped her. But after they left, the task of remodeling fell almost squarely on Esme's shoulders. I kick myself now for not seeing that really what she'd needed was a companion, someone to simply stand there and hold the ladder or to roll paint with her. If I had only helped, Esme might have suffered less during that time in Ithaca.

But I had been wholly focused on my work, and partially on Edward. Like everyone else, I spent as much time out of the house as possible. I couldn't bear to watch my son, who'd always been so strong, waste away. I couldn't handle the time I was spending at home already, so I found another way to bide my time.

I agreed to teach a course through Cornell's Medical program entitled "Advanced Immunology". Grading papers and going through the motions of preparing a lesson plan kept me occupied enough so that I didn't have to face what was right in front of me. I could hide behind a computer or a stack of essays and not have to witness the destruction I had wrought. I am ashamed to admit, I couldn't handle it.

We'd been in Ithaca nearly two months, when Edward finally spoke for the first time. It was only three words at first, and they were the last words I wanted to hear.

"Carlisle, I'm leaving."

I had been sitting with Esme in the newly refurbished living room, grading a recent exam I'd given on chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and other autoimmune diseases. The particular student who I'd been grading wasn't off to a good start with only 4 of 10 questions correct.

Edward's declaration immediately sent off warning bells in my head that caused me to jump up from my chair, scattering papers. Esme and I snatched them up before they could hit the ground. When the papers were back in a stack on the couch, I turned towards Edward.

"Edward," I sighed.

He held up a hand to stop me. "I'm leaving," he repeated. "I'm doing more harm to the family here."

"No, Edward—"Esme started.

"Jasper can't stay here because he can't stand to be around me. And Alice can't be without Jasper. Rosalie and Emmett left because she's still angry about the move. And you…" His voice trailed off. I knew he was sampling our thoughts. I focused on sending only good thoughts.

Stay, Edward, I thought. You belong here, with the family.

Edward shook his head. "No, Carlisle. I'm only hurting the family, just like I was only hurting Bella. I'm going to do something worthwhile now."

"What would you do?" Esme asked softly. "Why do you have to leave?"

"I'm going to protect Bella," he said firmly. "When we left, we removed one danger. Now, I'm going to protect her from others. Victoria is still out there."

Victoria? James's mate? Last spring, we'd protected Bella from a tracker who had been bent on finding Bella, torturing her, and then killing her. He'd tracked her to Phoenix and had almost killed her. Edward, Emmett, and I had been focused on finding the tracker before he found Bella. We'd lost him in Canada. As we raced to Phoenix, Esme and Rosalie had stayed in Forks and protected Bella's father from Victoria, James's mate. She'd avoided them and had disappeared soon after we'd taken care of James. She hadn't showed up at all since, in Forks or any of the surrounding cities. We'd forgotten about her.

Edward nodded in reply to my thoughts.

But she disappeared. She didn't come back afterwards. How do you know she's still a threat?

"Bella draws trouble, remember? As long as Victoria is alive, Bella will draw her back. She'll want revenge."

"But what would you do about her?" Esme asked, more insistent this time.

"Track her."

"The trail is cold. It's been months since she was in Forks."

"I'll figure something out. She'll want to be in a city, right? I'll find her, and take care of her. I have to…" Edward's voice was strained as it trailed off again and his expression became distant, almost like Alice when she was having a vision. It worried me, but this was the most we'd gotten out of him since leaving Forks.

"Please, Edward," Esme whispered. I knew by the yearning expression on her face, she was desperately trying to direct thoughts to Edward. Thoughts of him staying in Ithaca. Esme died a little every time the family fell apart a little more. When Emmett and Rosalie had left, she'd sobbed into my chest for hours, not leaving a single tear on my shirt. Jasper and Alice's absence was wearing on her. I could see it in the set of her mouth, the droop of her shoulders. My angel was suffering. And it was my fault. I'd caused them to leave Forks. I'd caused them to fall apart. And now, because I refused to make Edward do anything he didn't want to do, she would bear yet another loss.

Edward, I pleaded silently. Please, don't do this. She couldn't bear it. You know that better than I do.

"Bella needs me," he replied. By Esme's expression, he was answering her pleas as well as mine. He was denying us.

Edward picked up a bag he'd left by the entrance to the living room. I hadn't seen it earlier. Obviously Edward had been preparing for this. "I have my license, my passport, and plenty of cash. I promise I'll call if I need any help." He walked forward and hugged Esme, kissing her lightly on the top of her head. She gripped him tighter, as if she was going to physically prevent him from leaving.

But Edward gently, but firmly, extracted himself from her grasp with an apologetic look on his face. He turned to me, his expression set. Edward could be very stubborn when he wanted to. Like right then.

"Carlisle." He seemed undecided about whether he wanted to just nod or shake my hand. I made a decision of my own. I pulled him into a firm embrace, one of the few I've ever given him. Displays of affection were more Esme's forte. Each of my adopted children knew that I loved them unconditionally, but they also knew I didn't express it like Esme did. That wasn't my way. That wasn't how I was raised, back in the 1600s.

I suppose the fact that I did not normally display affection so made the hug I gave Edward even more potent. The expression on his face when I finally pulled away was unreadable. But I knew my son well enough. When Edward's expression was unreadable, he wasn't sure, or he was experiencing emotions he thought would hurt more than help. Typically I was able to determine which it was, but this time I couldn't. And I didn't have the time to prod. He was gone in seconds, out the door and driving away in his Volvo. Before he'd reached the end of the drive, Esme was in my arms. She sobbed dryly into my arms as I comforted her, and tried to make sense of what I was feeling myself. For the first time in almost seventy-five years, Edward was gone. With the exception of Esme, he'd been my most consistent companion, and my longest. And he was gone. I felt lost, confused, and alone, even with Esme in my arms.

Edward, I thought. And there was no reply.


	46. Chapter 46:So Much for Happy Christmas

**A/N: I'M SOOO GOOD! I know I told you guys last night that I probably wouldn't have an update for you until next week at the latest, but I also told you that as soon as the next chapter was up I'd post it. This one gave me a hard time, but I finally got it all out and despite the tone at the end, I feel PUMPED!**

**I'm going to tell you right now, if you are depressed, DON'T READ THIS!!! It will not help you. And I would feel awful if someone hurt themselves because of my writing. So this is my warning.**

**For all you regular readers, this is a sad chapter. It's not as low as the Cullens will get in the next few chapters, but it is almost there. The plus side is the next chapter will be a little better because Carlisle and Esme will have a very nice New Year and then a wonderful surprise (if you think you know it, PM me. Don't put it in a review so you don't spoil it for others)!**

**So I hope this gives you something to think about and look forward to the next couple chapters. We are in December. Things will start picking up again after January. Don't forget to REVIEW!! Please! As always, you guys are the best for keeping with me. I'll shut up now and let you read.**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 46: So Much for "Happy Christmas"_

The months crept by with a snail-like quality. In the past, months and years hadn't meant much. When you had forever, who cared about a day? But now, each day felt like a year. Each month felt like a decade. With Edward gone, and Rosalie and Emmett still in Europe, the family was broken. Alice and Jasper took to spending more time at home now. Jasper didn't have it easy, particularly with Esme, who still mourned the loss of Edward, but he accepted the challenge. He knew Esme needed him and Alice.

But Alice had other things on her mind. She'd been doing research in the library at Cornell while Jasper had been avoiding Edward and focusing on his studies. After Edward left, Alice revealed that her research had been into her own past. The encounter with James earlier that year had shaken her. He'd revealed a bit about her past, a past that she couldn't remember. She'd hidden her curiosity at the time, but it made sense that she would want to know. The rest of us did. Rosalie even took a trip back to Rochester with Emmett, twenty years after we'd left.

"I want to head south," Alice said, one night. "To Mississippi. I think I might still have family down there."

Esme tried to hide the pain Alice's announcement caused her, but almost one hundred years of being married to her let me read her expression like the text on a page. It wrenched my heart, that once more, Esme would be subjected to this sort of pain. But what could I do? All of our children were adults, capable of making their own decisions. It wasn't like we could ground them, or refuse to let them leave.

"Alice," Esme said softly, "Do you think that is a wise idea? Sometimes the past can hurt."

Alice nodded. "I think I need to," she replied. "Otherwise I'll always wonder. We'll be careful, Esme, I promise. And it won't be for long. A few weeks or so. I just want to go down there and look around, learn a few things. Everything will be fine here; I've already checked."

There was silence. Jasper hadn't said anything about his wife's intentions. Obviously she'd talked to him about this already. He stood by, his expression passive, though I couldn't begin to imagine the emotions he was sensing. I, myself, was feeling defeated and useless, like a failure. I was a failure at being a "father". This was the last bit of family left at home, and they were leaving.

"When do you intend to leave?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice calm, my expression serene. I needed to, for Esme, for Alice, even for Jasper, though I had no doubt he could feel the despair blatantly.

"The day after Christmas," Alice answered. "We'll drive down."

"Take my car," I told her, "you'll need the dark tint with the sunlight down south. I can use one of the other cars." Rosalie had left her convertible and Emmett had left his Jeep in the garage. But I wouldn't dream of touching Rosalie's red BMW, so I would probably end up driving Emmett's Jeep. Edward's Volvo would've been my second choice, after my Mercedes, but he'd taken that with him on his hunt after Victoria.

Jasper nodded solemnly. Alice kept looking down at her hands, not willing to meet either Esme's or my eyes. I knew she had to do this. She deserved to find answers to the questions she had of her past. I just wished this could've come at a different time. Any other time.

~*~

The four of us decorated the house for Christmas, like we did every year. Except this year, Jasper and I went out to get the tree instead of Jasper and Emmett. And I helped Esme and Alice hang decorations around the house and on the tree, rather than Esme, Alice, and Rosalie. And although all seven, hand-painted stockings were hung, we all knew only four would be needed this year. Christmas was typically a joyous season in our house. With the winter weather moving in, there were more overcast days, which meant less time hiding in the house or out of sight. We all looked forward to snow and snowmen and snowball fights. The cold didn't affect us; we never felt it anymore. But this year there were no snowball fights because there was no Emmett to instigate them. And, although Alice and Esme did build a snowman in the front yard, there were no others to compete with it. Its lone figure out on the lawn reflected our mood exactly. We were all alone, even when the four of us were together.

It had never been this bad before. The children have come and gone multiple times, sometimes living with us, sometimes living at a university, or sometimes just living alone for a cycle. I'd missed them, but never before had I felt this overwhelming feeling of loss. It felt like they weren't coming back. Perhaps it was the fact that, I didn't know when they were going to return, or even if. Rosalie and Emmett probably would, but it would be a while. Alice and Jasper also would take some time, but in the end, they'd more than likely return. Alice said she was just going to check on a few things in Mississippi. "A few weeks," she said.

Edward was a whole other story. 'Edward,' I thought with a sigh. Esme looked up at me curiously from where she was reading a book on my lap. I smiled down at her and she smiled back, before returning to her novel, leaving me to my thoughts. They were, for the first time in almost one hundred years, completely private. Edward was gone, and only God knew when he would return. Edward had lost more than any of us. He'd suffered, for her sake; so that she might live a safe, normal life. I understood his logic, just not how he could follow through with it. I didn't know if Edward would ever heal, like he wanted her to do. But he was out there, trying to make amends in his own way.

That night was Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holidays, Esme, Alice, Jasper, and I spent the night together in front of a fire, telling stories and simply enjoying each other's company. Around 2 AM, Alice and Jasper slipped upstairs and that was Esme's and my cue to bring out the presents. One for each of them, from each of us. I'd gotten Jasper an original, Confederate civil war pistol. It was used by the officers as a sidearm. I'd hoped Alice hadn't given it away. For her gift, I'd recruited Esme's help. I got her a pair of boots, of some sort, from a designer that was one of Alice's favorites. They were Italian and had arrived only the day before. I had no doubt Alice had known about them since I'd first asked Esme a month ago.

I nestled the presents under the tree with Esme's. Alice and Jasper would bring their presents down when Esme and I retired to our own bedroom. As I stood up, I looked around for my angel and found her in front of the fireplace, running a gentle finger over Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward's stockings. Her expression in the flickering light of the fire wrenched my heart. The loss and sadness, as she thought of her three missing children marred her heavenly features. I was at her side in less than a moment, pulling her into my arms. She came willingly, burying her face in my shoulder.

"I miss them Carlisle," she murmured. "So much."

"I miss them too," I replied, stroking her soft hair as I comforted her.

"I wish they were here," she admitted. "I wish I could hold them, wish them a Merry Christmas, see their faces when they opened their presents."

I sighed, nodding, agreeing.

"Will they ever come back, Carlisle?" Esme asked, looking up into my eyes with her faded butterscotch. My angel. My beautiful angel.

"Yes," I replied with conviction. "They will. They just need time, Esme. But they will come back. All of them."

She seemed to understand my emphasis on the "all" part. "Even Edward," it said. Even Edward would come back. I had to believe it, for her sake. Esme nodded once, before returning her head to my shoulder. We swayed back and forth to the crackling of the fire and an internal rhythm, not driven by our hearts, but by our souls and our love for one another.

That morning, Alice waited to open presents until 6 AM. Then she dragged all of us back into the living room where the tree stood with the final, dying embers of our fire from that night. She and Jasper had added their own presents to the small pile of Esme and mine under the tree. Alice handed each of us a present and we took turns opening them.

From Alice I got a new, formal jacket. It was black and fell to about my knees and would be perfect for a cold night out with Esme. From Jasper, I got a new book on Auto-immune diseases and the latest treatments. I thanked him for it and looked forward to using some of the information for my course, once it began again in February. From Esme, I got my favorite present of all, and a new stethoscope with my initials carved on it.

It was Christmas Day, a day of family and festivities. Rosalie and Emmett even called from Barcelona, Spain with wishes of a Merry Christmas and promises that they will be home soon, though they wouldn't give a date. The four of us spent the day together, as a family should. But the time was marred by the little signs of Alice and Jasper's departure. Around 1 in the afternoon, Jasper asked me for his and Alice's passports. And that night, Esme and I could hear them packing in their room down the hall. Esme almost winced at every thump of a dresser and zipper of a suitcase. I held her close through the onslaught until they were finished.

"First Bella, then Rosalie and Emmett, then Edward, and now Alice and Jasper," Esme whispered. "What are we going to do, Carlisle?"

I sighed and kissed her hair gently. "We're going to eagerly await their returns," I replied. But I couldn't help but think, 'If some of them return.' I noticed Esme included Bella in the list. She'd thought of her as another daughter during the time we were in Forks. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper I had no doubt would return. But Bella and Edward would have the hardest time of all our children (yes I include Bella in that list). They would have the most to overcome, before they were ready to rejoin us, if they would ever be ready.


	47. Chapter 47: New Year

**A/N: So this is another chapter. Second within five days! I went from not really posting, to posting fairly quickly! I hope I can keep this up. I think as long as my class work doesn't take up too much time, I can keep posting often. I know what I need to write now, and I think the writer's block might be behind me *KNOCK ON WOOD*. **

**This chapter is a little nicer and a little sweeter than the past couple have been. It's some fluff and stuff and not really action packed, but for all you who like Carlisle and Esme (like me) you find this chapter likeable. I hope you like it enough to REVIEW! And even if you don't like it, REVIEW and tell me what you didn't like and what I can fix. Just a few words, less than a minute of your valuable time. It'll take less time to review than it has to read this incredibly long author's note. I'm going to shut up now and let you read the chapter. I'm not one of those authors who holds the next chapter above your heads until a certain amount of reviews, but I'd like at least 10, if you can spare it!**

**Pretty please?**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 47: New Year_

I knew after Alice and Jasper left that I needed to do something to distract Esme. Anything to get her mind off of the emptiness of the house. So the night after Christmas day, I began to make arrangements for a special, New Year's vacation. I took off for the rest of the week and the next week. I'd been working longer hours than any other doctor in CMC and had plenty of vacation time to use. Also, classes wouldn't begin for almost a month, so Cornell didn't need me. Esme did.

After taking off, I book two plane tickets to Rio de Janeiro for the day after tomorrow. I was taking her to her island. Isle Esme. It would be a good retreat from everything. Only Esme and I had ever been on Isle Esme. I'd bought it for her long ago as an anniversary gift. It was tropical, but removed so we wouldn't have to hide when the sun came out. The house there was kept up by two humans who came to clean and repair any damages, but I usually asked them not to come when I brought Esme there.

I heard Esme walking slowly down the hall as I printed the boarding passes for the flight. First class, of course. She knocked on my door as I tucked the passes into my coat pocket. I wasn't really sure when I would tell her about the trip. When the time was right.

"Come in," I said softly. I didn't know why she'd knocked. Esme was welcome in my office any time. I kept nothing from her.

Esme walked in and put an attempt of a smile on her face. I knew this was supposed to be for my sake. Esme was trying to put on a brave face for me. But I knew her too well to believe the smile meant she was truly happy. It didn't reach her eyes. There wasn't the typical spark in her topaz eyes as she walked around my desk. I pushed my chair back from my computer and pulled her onto my lap. She nestled her face in my neck and gave me a gentle kiss as I rubbed her back. Neither of us said anything at first; we simply basked in each other's presence.

Finally it was I who broke the comfortable silence between us, "I love you," I said simply.

"I know," Esme replied. "I love you too."

"I can stand to see you so sad," I admitted. "My angel," I whispered to her, kissing her hair, her forehead, her nose, her lips. She returned my kiss with less of her usual passion.

"I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "I don't mean to make you unhappy too."

"You don't," I replied quickly. "On the contrary, you make me the happiest man in the world when I am with you."

Esme smiled and this time, I saw a glimpse of it in her perfect, loving, kind eyes.

"I have something for you," I informed her, reaching to my coat pocket and pulling out the passes. I handed them to her and she looked them over for a moment. I watched her expression change as she read the destination and put two and two together.

"We're going to the Isle!" she said, enthusiasm in her voice for the first time in months.

"The day after tomorrow," I added. "I took off for the rest of the week and the next. I thought we could spend New Year's there, maybe see the fireworks in Rio and spend some time together. I'm sorry I've been so busy. I've neglected you far too much since we moved. I feel terrible.

Esme took my face in her hands and planted a firm kiss on my lips. "Carlisle, none of this is your fault," she told me. "You know that, right?"

I nodded, but I couldn't help but thinking, 'if only I hadn't moved the family'. It was my fault. But I was going to make it right. And this would be the first step. I would take care of Esme, and then I would begin work on the kids. I would bring this family back, somehow.

~*~

Esme and I packed our bags and locked up the house and got on our plane to Rio at 4 AM. I picked an earlier flight in hopes that there would be less people getting on. We didn't sleep, so it wasn't like waking up was a hard thing for us to do. Flying in first class helped too. There was more space between us and the other humans. I sat in the outside seat, Esme sat at the window. We talked quietly the entire way there. We talked about trivial things, how my classes were going or how her work on the house was coming. She was almost finished. All she had left was the exterior. Esme told me how she would have to replace certain spots of the wood where it had rotted and how she would probably try to paint it as close to the original colors as she could come. I offered to help her with that when we got back. Esme also wanted to plant some new trees and some shrubs and such to "frame" the house. She was considering hiring a landscaper for that part.

"I don't know very much about plants," she admitted. "I would hate to ruin it by doing it myself."

"You could never do that," I replied, squeezing her hand.

Esme turned to me, her expression suddenly offended. I reeled, trying to find something I'd said wrong. "Carlisle Cullen, you are a big liar." But she smiled and kissed me tenderly on the mouth. "But I still love you."

"Always," I whispered.

We arrived in Rio de Janeiro without mishap and passed through customs quickly. I hailed a taxi and directed the driver to the marina where we always kept a boat in ship-shape for excursions like this. Esme and I climbed aboard and she stowed the suitcases as I ran through the checklist. Five minutes later we were sailing out of the harbor and then we left Rio behind. It was a nice city, but Isle Esme waited. I struggled to keep my anticipation in check as we skipped over the waves. I steered the boat over the water with ease; it wasn't too choppy today. Soon we docked on Isle Esme, just below the spacious house I'd had built for us. It was twilight. The sun was a thin, half circle of light just above the distant horizon. The sky was orange and yellow with hues of a brilliant pink with a deeper purple creeping in. Esme sighed as we climbed off the boat. I grabbed our bags and we strolled up the path to the house.

"I've missed it here," Esme commented. "It's been so long."

It had been a very long time since we'd visited Isle Esme. We hadn't taken the trip since moving to Forks, and had only come down once during our time in Denali, Alaska. This was a much needed break from the problems back home.

The time spent on Isle Esme was the best week and a half of that January. Esme and I were together and we didn't need to focus on our work or the house or anything other than each other. We watched the fireworks out in Rio from Isle Esme, a feat not possible for humans. We only left the Isle twice to go hunting, once during the middle of the stay, and once at the end, to be prepared for the trip back. The time on the island was the best I'd had with my wife in a long time and I never wanted it to end.

But the days passed all too quickly and soon, Esme and I faced our last sunset on Isle Esme. I lounged in a hammock strung up between two palm trees, Esme tucked to my side, and we watched the sun sink below the horizon one last time. The weather had been clear almost the entire time, a welcome break from the cloudiness of Ithaca, New York. As Esme watched the brilliant colors streaking across the sky, I watched the last rays of light as they glistened off her perfect skin. It was a peculiar thing, the way sunlight interacted with our skin. It sparkled like diamonds, yet diamonds sparkled because of their facets. Our skin was smooth and hard like granite with not a single imperfection. It didn't make sense. And why did only sunlight act like this. Diamonds could shine in artificial light too, yet all artificial light did was make us look even more sickly, bringing the dark circles under our eyes and the paleness of our skin into stark contrast.

Esme turned her head slightly to look up at me. "What are you thinking?" she asked, smiling.

I smiled back. "What makes you think I'm thinking?" I asked her, teasing.

"You have the look on your face," she replied, matter-of-factly. "It's the look you get when reading your medical journals, or when you are trying to figure out how best to help a patient. I don't know how to really describe it. You look…pensive." She shrugged.

"Pensive," I repeated. "Hmm…well if you must know, I was wondering about you. I was admiring the way the light reflects off your flawless skin."

Esme turned further so that she was almost on her side. It was not an easy feat in a hammock, but we were vampires. We wouldn't fall. She studied my face and I recognized the same look in hers as she was trying to describe in mine. It was a look of almost intense curiosity and concentration. But there was something not so uptight about it. I wondered vaguely if it was a look she'd learned from me, or one I learned from her. It wasn't unheard of, for a couple to pick up each other's mannerisms as they stayed together longer. And Esme and I had been together for about 80 years.

"Now what are you thinking about?" I asked her. To my dismay, she frowned. It was the first time I'd seen her do so since we'd arrived at Isle Esme. "What's wrong?" I asked urgently.

"It's just, I was thinking about us."

"What about us? We're both right here, enjoying a wonderful sunset."

"Not just you and I," she corrected. "I mean us, as in the entire family."

I understood now why she'd frowned. I'd tried my best to distract her from thinking about the family while we were here. But Esme was concerned. It was natural for her. The family that she loved so deeply was in ruins.

I wanted to change the subject, like I'd done whenever we were coming close to talking about the family any other time while we were here, but I knew I couldn't. We were leaving tomorrow, and then the status of our family would be a worry once more.

"I was thinking, maybe we could give Rosalie and Emmett another call," Esme suggested. "Just to see how they're doing. They might be inclined to come home. I miss them."

"I miss them too," I replied. "And when we get back, I'll give them a call. I think Emmett has his cell phone on him. They said they were in Barcelona right now?"

Esme nodded. "And Edward. Do you think he might need some help? We haven't heard from him since he left. Surely he would've found her by now."

I sighed. Emmett and Rosalie were one situation. They'd only left because Rosalie couldn't handle the family as it was. But Edward wasn't at home, so perhaps she'd be willing to come home, for Esme's sake. Edward, though, his problems were deeper. I knew the search for Victoria was a distraction for him. It was a way for him to feel useful to Bella, without actually being there, at her side.

"Not necessarily," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Victoria seemed to be especially adept at avoiding us when she was working with James. I don't think she would be an easy person to find. And Edward refused help. He's working alone. It might take a while for him to find her."

Esme nodded. I could tell that she was disappointed, but understood my reasoning. Edward's task was a difficult one. That she recognized.

"But Alice and Jasper should be home soon," I reminded her. "Alice said she wanted to check on a few things. They probably won't be much longer down south, and then they'll return."

Esme smiled at the thought. There was a strong possibility that she would get four of her children back within the next month or so. She looked forward to it, and hoped for the day Edward might come home too.

"This is a new year," I said. "We're going to start it off right. As soon as we get home, I'll contact Emmett and Rosalie and see if they can come home. We're still a family. I promise."

Esme stretched up and kissed my lips. I returned her kiss, pulling her closer. We lay like that, in each other's embrace until the last of the sun's rays had disappeared from the sky and the stars winked down at us from the heavens. "I know," Esme said, finally.

**A/N2: Sorry for the second Author's note, but I need all of you to check out my profile for the poll queston. It's really important for all you Rising Sun readers. I really need your feedback!**

**-Wish**


	48. Chapter 48: Picking up the Pieces

**A/N: Oh yeah, I'm good, I'm good does a victory dance and slips on the strap of her backpack OW! Victory hurts!**

**So this is yet another awesome chapter from yours truly. That would be three now, since I posted that awfully unfair author's note. Have I made it up to you yet?**

**So since you guys know the plot of New Moon, I guess what's coming soon is kinda obvious. But if you can't guess (really???) then I'm not going to just tell you. Just know that there may or may not be one more chapter before that crazy one where the Cullens hit rock bottom. I haven't really decided yet. I have to just write and see where the proper break is.**

**I hope you like this chapter, don't forget to Review for me, and if you haven't been to my site to vote, there is a really important poll for all you fabulous Rising Sun readers. It's super important (just to tell you right now, I'm not giving you guys the chance to vote on what will happen next, it's something else). I need all your feedback. So Review and then Vote!**

**Happy Reading!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 48: Picking up the Pieces_

The phone rang once, twice, three times, before I finally heard a click. "Hello?"

"Emmett, it's Carlisle," I said.

"Yeah, I know," Emmett replied. "They invented Caller ID this century, remember?"

"Yeah, Emmett," I chuckled. It seems so long since Emmett had made a joke about my real age. "How are you and Rosalie?"

"We're doin' good," he said. "Rose and I are in Paris now. You're old town."

"Right," I agreed. "But I doubt I'd recognize it now."

"Got that right. I don't recognize it from twenty years ago. So what's happening at back there in the States?"

"Alice and Jasper are in Mississippi, looking for information on Alice's past. Edward hasn't called or anything yet, so we're not sure where he is. Esme and I just got back from visiting the island for New Year's."

"So you and Esme had a little, uh…fun, down there?" Emmett's innuendo was obvious, even through the crackly cell phone line.

"I don't believe that's any of your business, Emmett," I replied.

"Good. Believe me, I don't want to know. So is there a specific reason you're calling, or are you just checking up on us like a good parent?"

I hesitated. A parent? After everything, did Emmett really still think of me like a father? I knew he loved Esme as a mother-figure and that nothing could change that, but I'd really messed things up here. Could he really forgive me for all that?

"Carlisle? You still there?"

"Yes," I replied quickly. "I'm actually calling because of Esme."

Emmett's reaction was immediate and intense. "Oh my God, did something happen? Is she okay? If it had anything to do with us we'll—"

"Calm down, Emmett," I interrupted him. "She's alright. I promise. But she misses you and Rose. Is there any possibility you might come back? She could really use the both of you home right now, especially with Alice and Jasper down south and Edward elsewhere." The fact that we had no way of knowing where he was worried me, possibly more than it worried Esme. Edward was my first companion. That fact alone made him special to me, almost as much as Esme was.

There was now silence on Emmett's side of the line, but I knew he was still there. I could hear Emmett's and Rosalie's faint voices in the background, though I couldn't understand what they were saying to each other. I had a feeling, though, that it was about my request. I waited patiently for them to sort things through on their side. I felt bad asking them to come back like this. I wasn't one to tell my children what they could or could not do. They were all adults, in mental age if not in physical age.

There was some shuffling on Emmett's end and then it was Rosalie's voice in my ear, rather than Emmett's.

"Carlisle?"

"Rose."

"How bad is it?" she asked simply. I knew what she meant though. She was asking about all of us, Esme, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and even me.

"It's just Esme and I still here," I told her. "Esme misses all of you. Rose, she really needs you. You know how she is. She needs us to be together, but right now, we're spread apart around the world. It's hurting her, pulling her apart. I can't stand to see her like this any longer. Please, I need to fix this. I need to start picking up the pieces."

"Is Edward still there?"

"No. He's been gone for months now. He hasn't checked in once since leaving, not even on Christmas."

"And Alice and Jasper?"

"They should be returning in a few weeks, but I can't be sure. They went to Biloxi, to find information on Alice's past."

Rosalie was quiet for a moment, before speaking again. "And what about you, Carlisle? What are you doing?"

"I've cut back my hours at the hospital to be at home with Esme more. I would not teach the class, but I've made a commitment to Cornell already for another semester. I'll see it through, and that will be the end of it."

Rosalie sighed, resigned. "Alright. We'll be back by the end of the week. But know, I'm only doing this for Esme."

"I understand, Rosalie. That's perfectly acceptable." I worked to keep my voice level and calm, but inside I was shouting for joy. 'They're coming home! Esme will be so happy! And I can finally start fixing things.'

Emmett came back on. "Hey, Pops. So I guess I'll text you or call you with the flight info when we've got one. See you at the end of the week?"

"We'll meet you at the airport," I promised him.

"Alright. See ya later."

Esme kept asking a hundred questions as we drove along the highway into JFK. I hadn't told her about Emmett and Rosalie. I hadn't even told her where we were going, only that we were going into the city.

"Carlisle, please tell me," she requested yet again.

"I can't," I insisted. "It's a surprise. But trust me; you're going to like it."

"I thought you never kept secrets from me?"

"I don't," I replied. "Except for this once. But what good would a surprise be if you knew what it was before it happened?"

Esme sighed and turned back to the window. We were in the Jeep, driving towards the airport. I didn't think it'd be a good idea to pick up Rosalie in her BMW. She'd probably yell at me for taking it out of the garage without her permission, and then insist on driving home. I didn't want to start their arrival back on a sour note.

As I pulled off the highway, Esme looked at the exit sign. "John F. Kennedy International Airport," she read, before turning back to me. "Please don't tell me we are going on yet another vacation. Isn't one enough for the month?"

"For you, no," I replied, smiling. "But no, we aren't going on another trip."

"But then why are we—"I saw the recognition dawn on her angelic face. "We aren't going somewhere, we're meeting someone! Who is it, Carlisle? Is it Edward? Rosalie? Alice? B—"she cut herself off, but I could fill in the gap. Bella. She still hoped for Bella. Her face fell a little as she thought of her lost daughter. I scrambled to take her mind away from Bella and back to the surprise.

"You'll just have to see who comes out," I told her. It was like a game show. Which vampire was behind door number three?

I parked the Jeep in the designated parking lot and Esme and I walked towards Arrivals. It was hard, keeping her at a normal, human pace when both of us wanted so much to dash inside at our speed. But we walked carefully, making a conscious effort to stay with the crowd. I was glad we'd hunted the day before yesterday, because the airport was extremely busy that day. The human scents pressed in on us from all sides and tested our willpower, even though we weren't thirsty. I hoped Rosalie and Emmett had had the sense to feed before getting on the plane. Even I was having a harder time than usual, and I worked as a surgeon.

I checked the Arrival board for Rosalie and Emmett's flight. It was on time. The board said it was disembarking now. They'd have to go down to Baggage Claim. We could meet them there. I pulled Esme in the direction of the Baggage Claim and I heard her give a short gasp of anticipation.

"Can you tell me where they're coming from?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "That would give it away. But they'll be down soon. You need not worry much longer."

Esme sighed, exasperated, and I laughed, pulling her into my arms and kissing her beautiful hair. I was just as excited as she was, but as always, I tried to radiate calm. It must be hard enough for her, having to deal with the smell of thousands of humans, and then also having to keep her own anticipation in check. She didn't need mine.

"Patience," I whispered in her ear, almost teasing. I was enjoying watching her excitement. It hadn't been a very often occurrence since we'd moved to Ithaca.

"I really can't stand the suspense," she told me, turning her head back. "Please take pity on me?"

"You'd hate me if I did." Esme never wanted my or anyone else's pity. It was something I admired about her.

"I could never hate you. Not even if I wanted to."

I smiled down at her and laughed. "No, I guess I couldn't either," I agreed. We glanced up as two familiar, sweet scents drifted over the crowd. I could see Rosalie and Emmett coming down the escalator. Rosalie had her purse in hand and Emmett carried a backpack over his shoulder. They hadn't spotted us yet. Rosalie was turned around halfway to talk to Emmett on the step behind her.

I knew exactly when Esme saw them because her body tensed and she almost leapt out of my hands.

"Rosalie! Emmett!" she exclaimed, though her voice was lost in the crowd.

Both their heads snapped up in our direction. Rosalie smiled and nodded. Emmett, a bit less subtly, waved both hands over his head, a huge grin splashed across his face.

"Come on, Carlisle," Esme urged me, taking my arm and pulling me behind her as she weaved through the people towards the escalator. Rosalie and Emmett climbed down the last few steps and met Esme at the bottom. She pulled both of them into a hug, on her face a look of utter bliss.

"Esme," Rosalie greeted her, a smile on her face. Esme pulled her into a single hug as I turned to Emmett, who was now free.

"Hey Pops," he said, clapping me on the back.

"I'm glad you decided to come home," I told him. Then in a low whisper, barely audible to the two of us over the din, "This means a lot to Esme. Thank you."

"Anything for you two," he replied before turning to Esme, who was finished with Rosalie, for now.

Rosalie stiffened slightly as she turned to me.

"Thank you, Rose," I said. "It's good to see you."

"You too, Carlisle," she replied curtly. She gave me an awkward nod, choosing not to be as physical as Emmett. Rosalie was still partly angry at me. She hadn't wanted to leave Forks, and she blamed me for what happened to the family because of it. Well, me and Edward.

We gathered up Emmett and Rosalie's checked bags before returning to the Jeep. Emmett was ecstatic to see his car and requested to drive it back. I obliged, taking the passenger's seat and giving Rosalie and Esme the back seats. Emmett wanted to ride home with the top down, but I was able to persuade him against it. Driving with the top down, in a Jeep, when it was below thirty degrees outside was not the best idea when we wanted to be inconspicuous.

We arrived back at the house and Rosalie and Emmett unpacked their bags. To Esme and I, the house felt like home, but Emmett and Rosalie seemed unsure in it. They hadn't stuck around long enough after the move to really consider this house in Ithaca home. Also, Esme had done a lot of renovations since the last time they were there.

"The house looks lovely, Esme," Rosalie commented.

"Yeah, you really did an awesome job," Emmett agreed.

"Thank you," Esme replied. "I'm working on the exterior now. Most of the inside is done."

"Maybe we can help you with that," Emmett suggested.

Esme smiled at him, "I'd like that. Here, I'll show you what I had in mind."

Emmett and Rosalie followed Esme outside and around the side of the house, leaving me alone in the living room. I climbed the stairs, taking them at human speed, gathering my thoughts. It was excellent that Rosalie and Emmett had agreed to return. This would be the first step in reforming the family. Next to work on were Alice and Jasper. I'd focus on them before even trying Edward. He would be the hardest. I had the greatest risk of losing him for sure. But slowly, we were reconnecting the pieces of the Cullen family. Slowly, the puzzle was being reformed.

'But will I have all the pieces?' I wondered. Because it wasn't just Edward that we were missing. The time here, in Ithaca had proved something to me. Bella, although she was human, was a member of our family. We were incomplete without her. Seeing the family now, away from Forks and Bella, I could understand that. So although the family was slowly reforming, I wondered if it would ever be complete again. I wondered if it could be complete again, and what it would take, to gather up all the pieces.


	49. Chapter 49: Spring Break

**A/N: Yay! Spring Break! So you guys can probably predict the next chapter in your sleep. I hope you enjoy this one, because things are going to drop like a rock. Actually, faster than a rock, because a rock can only fall as fast as gravity will allow it, and let me tell you, this next chapter…not going to be pretty. So brace yourselves. This next chapter or two are the lowest we're going to get. I hope you enjoy this one.**

**Don't forget to REVIEW me. Really, likes, dislikes, spelling, grammar, I'm a big girl, I can take constructive criticism. Just no flames please. It has to be constructive. And if you have any friends who have stopped reading because they don't like New Moon, tell them Eclipse will begin in maybe four or five chapters max. I'm not 100% positive because I don't know how much I'll need to really portray the proper emotions. But Eclipse is coming! Look for it!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 49: Spring Break_

"Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle! We're back!" Alice shouted from outside as she and Jasper climbed out of my Mercedes. I'd heard the familiar engine only a minute before Alice. I was downstairs in seconds, meeting the others in the foyer as Alice and Jasper stepped through the door.

"Jazz!" Emmett practically tackled Jasper as he sauntered through the door, one of Alice's suitcases in each hand. Jasper had barely a tenth of a second to move Alice's bags out of harm's way before the two collided with a crash and Jasper was thrown back out the door.

Alice burst out laughing and gave Rosalie a hug. "It's good to see you again Rose," she said. "I think I'll wait to say hello to Emmett."

Rosalie smiled at her adopted sister. "That might be best. But he's been itching to wrestle with Jasper for a while now. I think you'll be alright."

There was a loud crack and a thud that sent us scrambling out the door. Emmett and Jasper had collided with a small tree in the front yard, taking a chunk out of its base and causing it to fall into another, bigger oak.

"Emmett, Jasper, enough," I commanded.

They wrestled for a few more seconds before finally breaking up, both grinning.

"Good to see you too, Emmett," Jasper said, dryly. We walked back inside and Jasper and Alice said hello to Esme and I before Alice and Jasper brought the rest of their bags inside.

We all waited patiently for them to unpack, but it was obvious that all of us were eager to learn the results of Alice and Jasper's trip to Mississippi. It was mid-March, almost spring break. They'd been gone for a long time. Everyone was eager to hear what Alice and Jasper had learned down south. Finally we all gathered in the living room to hear what Alice would tell us.

"We went to Biloxi, Mississippi. I was born there in 1901 as Mary Alice Brandon. I had a little sister. I found my parents' grave, her grave, and my grave. Then we found the asylum where my family had me placed. The admittance date on the files matched the date of my death on my tombstone."

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry," Esme said, moving to hug Alice.

"It's alright," Alice reassured her. "Really. I found out my sister, Cynthia's, daughter is still alive in Biloxi."

"That's wonderful, Alice," Esme smiled. "Did you see her?"

"I didn't approach her, she was very old. I didn't want to scare her or something. Besides, what was I going to say? Hello, I'm Alice Cullen; I'm really your long-lost aunt who was committed to a mental asylum?" She chuckled and the rest of us took that as license to laugh too.

Alice went on to describe the trip, talking about the old asylum, the microfiches of newspapers they'd looked through for anything mentioning Alice or her family, visiting the site of her family's old house. "They ripped it down not too long ago," she added.

"It sounds like your trip was very productive," Esme commented.

"It was," Alice agreed. "Though I wasn't too fond of Mississippi. Too many sunny days. We—"Alice stopped suddenly, her eyes becoming distant. I knew immediately she was having a vision.

"Alice." Jasper's voice was firm as he took his wife's hand. Jasper was the most used to dealing with Alice's visions. She'd had countless visions, both while the two of them were with us, and before they'd come. "Alice, what do you see?"

Alice didn't answer him until she came back to the present. Then she squealed in delight. "Oh, we're going to go see Tanya and the other Denalis for Spring Break!"

I sighed. Esme and I had been talking about it, but we had still been unsure because we'd been expecting Alice and Jasper home soon. We didn't want to leave and have them return while we were gone. But I guess with Alice and Jasper's return, our minds were more decisive.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," I replied, "But I guess I can't really surprise you, can I Alice?"

"Nope!" she replied smugly. "I guess we should go repack then. Rose?"

Rosalie stood, a broad smile on her face, and took Alice's arm. The two of them raced upstairs, arm in arm, at vampire speed.

"Oh yeah!" Emmett exclaimed, punching the air. "This means we'll have enough for football!" He followed the girls upstairs. Jasper was right behind him, pausing only enough to grin back at Esme and I, before following the others out of sight.

"I guess I should give Eleazar a call," I commented.

Esme chuckled and shrugged. "I assume they'll say, 'yes', but it might be nice courtesy wise." She stood gracefully, gave me a short kiss on the cheek, before heading upstairs herself. I was left alone downstairs to call Denali.

I walked into the kitchen, shaking my head and smiling at my family. 'Almost back to normal,' I thought. Almost. Just two pieces still missing. I picked up my cell phone off the kitchen counter and dialed Eleazar's number. Even if I didn't have a vampire's perfect memory, I wouldn't need the phone's phonebook. I had called the number many times over the years we'd known the Denali Clan.

Eleazar picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Eleazar, it's Carlisle," I said.

"Carlisle. How are things? I heard you were in New York, having some family issues. Is everything okay?" Eleazar's voice was crackly through the line, but I could still hear the genuine worry in his tone.

"We're working on it," I replied. "I was wondering if it'd be alright for us to pay you a visit. The kids have Spring Break. Esme and I were thinking about taking them somewhere."

"Sure. We'd be happy to have you. You can tell Emmett the bears are particularly grouchy this year. I'm sure he'll be excited about that."

I heard a loud whoop from upstairs. Apparently Emmett had heard without my having to tell him.

"I think he heard," I commented to Eleazar.

"I think he did too," Eleazar agreed.

"We'll drive there. You can probably expect us in a few days, as long as we don't have any trouble."

"Okay," Eleazar agreed. "We'll be ready for you."

"Goodbye."

"Bye."

I ended the call and, placing the cell phone back on the table, climbed the stairs. Esme was in our room, already packing. She'd almost finished her own clothes and had taken out a few items of my own.

"I take it Eleazar didn't have any problem with us coming?"

I smirked at her playfully. "Were you betting against Alice?" I asked.

"No," Esme laughed. "I guess I shouldn't have had to ask."

We finished packing that night and loaded the cars. We were taking my Mercedes and Emmett would drive his Jeep. Rosalie had consented to leaving her BMW behind, since a convertible wasn't really a practical car in Alaska during the early spring. There was a good chance that there would still be snow on the ground. Emmett's Jeep would be more suitable. Alice and Jasper opted to go with Emmett and Rosalie, leaving Esme and I alone in my car. We locked up the house and set off that night. What point was there in waiting? We didn't need to rest. The night would be better for us. There was less traffic and fewer cops at 2 AM. Emmett and I flew down the highway, heading north towards the Canadian border. We'd pass through at Niagara Falls and then head north through Toronto before skirting Lake Huron. Then it was northwest to Winnipeg, then Edmonton. After Edmonton, we'd take 43 to 2 to 97. When we crossed into Yukon it would become 1 and it would stay that way all the way into Denali. It was a trip that all of us had made plenty of times before. At least the last part was. The only differences were the starting points. This was the first time we'd gone through Toronto to get to Denali.

Emmett pulled up alongside me, a mischievous grin on his face. He started speeding up, obviously egging me to go faster. I looked over at Esme, asking silently, "Do you want me to?"

She smiled and nodded slightly. "Yes." And we were off. Both of us pushed our cars well past 100 miles per hour on the open highway. The thrill of the race coursed through me, pushing me to go faster, to beat Emmett. This was what I missed when the others had been gone. This family.


	50. Chapter 50:Reconnecting

**A/N: Okay, I know you guys are going to murder me but there is a valid reason why I had to take this latest chapter down. I was reading through New Moon for the next chapter when I realized I'd made a few MAJOR Plot mistakes. Things that would mess with the flow of the story later on. So, i had to take down the other one and fix it. The first part is mainly the same. The last couple hundred words are completely different though, which is why i had to change the name of the Chapter. It's now called "Reconnecting" and you'll see why. I promise, next chapter will be up soon. I have four days of campus time with no classes so, i can chain myself to my laptop for hours on end, if that's what it takes.**

**I am sorry in advanced for the inconvenience, but i just Want to get Carlisle's story right. Please read this updated chapter so you will understand what is happening next.**

**-Wish**

**P.S. I'm finding a few continuity issues in some of SM's plot that I'm also trying to sort out. Apparently according to her, Carlisle is out hunting. THen Alice tells BElla she calls him, but then later on tells BElla that he doesn't know Alice is in Forks and that he and Esme will find out when they return in a few days. THen it seems to be alright because she talks to Jasper before going to Italy, so i think it evens out a bit there. If any of you can help me understand this, i would really appreciate it.**

_Chapter 50: Reconnecting_

As we arrived at the familiar, removed house just outside the Denali National Park, four figures stepped out to greet us. Tanya was easily recognizable with her strawberry blond hair. Next to her was her sister, Kate. Eleazar stood hand-in-hand with Carmen, just behind the sisters.

"Carlisle." Eleazar stepped forward to shake my hand, a broad smile on his face.

"It's good to see you, Eleazar," I replied. I nodded to his mate behind him, "Carmen."

She returned my nod graciously. I looked to Tanya and Kate, who were talking with Alice and Rosalie.

"Where is Irina? And if I'm not mistaken, Laurent was intending to come here too." Laurent had helped us greatly in our search for James last spring. He'd refused to get involved, saying that it wasn't his battle. Instead, he'd gone north, supposedly to Denali to live with Eleazar, Tanya, and their family.

Eleazar's smile fell and I noticed Kate tense where she was with Rosalie.

"Why don't we all go inside?" Carmen suggested. "We can…catch up."

We all followed her inside the house, the mood suddenly more solemn. It was obvious something had happened to Irina, something the others didn't like to think about.

The inside of the Denalis' house was much like our old house in Forks. It was surprisingly open for a house in Alaska, even the southern part. They didn't have a glass wall like we'd had, but they did have plenty of large windows and their living room took up most of the bottom floor. It was there we settled down to hear what the Denalis had to say for Irina.

It was Carmen who started. She seemed to be the most able to handle the information. "Laurent did come here and he gave our lifestyle a chance. He was quite good at it, actually. He and Irina began to grow close. Very close."

"Did she become his mate?" Esme asked.

Carmen nodded.

"What happened to them?" Rosalie asked.

"They left." Kate's voice was bitter. She was obviously angry at Irina's sudden departure. "They left without a word of where they were going or when they would be back, if ever."

"So you don't know where they are," I finished.

"No." Eleazar's answer hung heavily in the air. I could tell the others were all racking their brains for some reason Laurent and Irina might leave, and where they would go. My own mind was grasping for an answer. The one I came up with was frightening.

"What if they went…south."

Carmen, Eleazar, Kate, and Tanya looked at me like I'd lost my mind. But my family looked at me with dawning dread.

"You don't think Laurent changed his mind, do you?" Esme spoke first.

But Alice shook her head vehemently. "No," she replied. "I would've seen it."

"But Edward asked you not to," I reminded her.

"And you had so much on your mind as it was," Esme added.

Alice took time before answering. "I spent so much time back in Forks, looking into Bella's future. Even if I weren't looking for it, I would've seen something that important. If Laurent had gone back to finish Bella, I would've seen it."

She seemed certain of it, so I dropped the subject. If Laurent and Irina had gone south, there was nothing we could do about it now. It sounded like they'd left a while ago.

"Why don't you get settled?" Eleazar suggested. "There will be time to talk about this later."

I nodded and the others dispersed, going back to their cars to get bags or up the stairs to one of the bedrooms. After our stay with the Denalis, Tanya, Kate, Irina, Eleazar, and Carmen had left the rooms as they were. We were sure to come back, after all. And then everything would be already prepared.

Eleazar followed Esme and I up to the room we'd occupied. It was small, much smaller than our room in Forks or even Ithaca. But with no need for a bed, the room had ample space for the two of us. Eleazar closed the door behind him and turned to us.

"What happened to your family?" he asked. "I've never seen you all like this. Not even after one of you slip. What happened to Edward? And what did you mean when you talked about Laurent and Irina going south?"

I sighed, setting my bag on the floor next to the couch and sitting down. Esme joined me and Eleazar took the lone chair.

"You remember last year, when Edward came up here for a week in March?"

"Of course," Eleazar replied. "He seemed so conflicted. I'd never seen him so uncertain."

"He came up because of a girl who'd just moved to Forks, Bella Swan. Because Bella's blood was too tempting to him. He almost lost control the first day he met her. As a result, he left."

"But he went back, yes? He was only here for about a week before he returned."

"Yes," I replied. "Edward came back, determined to not let one human's blood keep him away from his family. He tried to keep his distance from Bella. But one day she was almost hit by a van. Edward saved her, but in doing so, exposed himself to her. He tried to cover it up, but Bella was too perceptive. She figured out what we were."

"She knows?" Eleazar looked incredulous. "What did you do? Did you kill her? Change her?"

"No," I answered. "We didn't do anything. Bella proved herself, trustworthy. And Edward…" I sighed. "Edward fell in love with her."

Eleazar looked even more surprised now than he had hearing Bella knew about us. "He fell in love? With what sounds like his tua cantante? That must've been very painful for him."

I nodded agreement. "But Edward was determined to keep Bella safe. Only, a tracker came through and targeted Bella. We managed to trick him into following us, while Bella went south, back to her mother's house in Phoenix, but we couldn't finish the tracker off before he figured it out. He tracked Bella to Phoenix and almost killed her. He'd bitten her, and Edward sucked the venom out."

Eleazar's jaw fell open. I could understand why. The strength and control Edward exerted was tremendous, to stop when Bella's blood was clean. I don't think I've ever been more proud of him than I was that day.

"Bella was okay," I continued, "but she had a broken leg, among other injuries. That summer, the two of them spent a lot of time together. Most of their time, actually. Bella was over at our house almost as much as Edward was at hers."

"Is that where he is now?" Eleazar asked. "With Bella in Forks?"

Esme hung her head next to me as I shook mine. "No. On Bella's eighteenth birthday, we threw her a party. But Bella tends to have accidents and get into trouble. She got a paper cut when trying to open her presents. Jasper attacked her."

"He killed her," Eleazar resolved. "I'm sorry, Carlisle."

"No, he didn't kill her. Edward protected her. But she did get hurt again, and it was a very close call. The incident prompted us to move on. Edward didn't want anything like that happening ever again. He didn't want to risk Bella's life, just for what he calls 'his own selfishness'. We left Bella behind in Forks and moved to Ithaca. But Edward and the others were never the same afterwards.

"Edward was in almost a constant state of depression. He didn't feed often enough, he didn't speak to anyone, and he hardly ever came out of his room. Soon, he left, going after the tracker's mate, who is still out there, possibly looking for revenge.

"Soon after we moved, Rosalie and Emmett went on a second honeymoon in Europe. They just got back a few weeks before we came here. And Alice and Jasper went south. The tracker had revealed a few pieces of Alice's past. He'd tried to track her when she was a human, but she'd been the first prey of his to get away. An old vampire had changed her before the tracker, James, could kill her. She and Jasper went to Biloxi, Mississippi to do some research on Alice's past. They returned not too long after Rosalie and Emmett did."

"But Edward hasn't," Eleazar added. "Have you heard anything from him?"

"No," I replied. "Not since he left. He hasn't called or communicated in any other way. For all we know, he could be in a whole other country."

Esme squeezed my hand and I returned her gesture. I know that the subject of Edward was a hard one for her, but Eleazar needed to know.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle," Eleazar said. "We haven't heard anything from him either. But I promise if we do, we will contact you immediately, wherever you are."

"Thank you," I replied. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kindness."

"He's always welcome here."

I nodded and further expressed my gratitude before the three of us left Esme and my room. We turned to a more immediate topic as we entered the living room again.

"Esme and I were considering taking a hunting trip, just the two of us," I told Eleazar. "Just for a couple of days." Esme nodded with me. We'd both thought it would be a good idea for Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper to have some fun with their for lack of a better term, "cousins".

Eleazar nodded.

"I know Emmett will want to go hunting right away. He's been looking forward to the grizzlies for a while. It's hard to find bears on the east coast."

"Well we have an abundance of them here. I'd be happy to take him and the others, if you two want to spend some time alone. And when you get back, we'll play a ball game or two. It's a lot more fun with more than just four players."

I smiled. "Absolutely." It was good to see Eleazar and the other Denalis again. It'd been so long since the last time we'd visited. Over two years. As we were in the process of reconnecting our own, immediate family, it felt right to catch up with our extended family as well.

Esme and I said our goodbyes to Tanya, Kate, and Carmen, before searching out our children in their separate rooms. We found Alice and Jasper first, in their room, just talking.

"You're leaving," Alice said, for me.

"Yes. Esme and I are going on a hunting trip for a few days. Behave yourselves and don't break anything."

"We're not the ones you need to worry about, Carlisle," Jasper said, smirking.

"All the same," I replied. "We'll be back soon." Esme gave each of them and hug and Alice skipped forward, giving me a soft squeeze before turning back to her husband.

"Oh, and by the way, weather should be perfect for a game when you get back," Alice called as we left.

"Thank you, Alice," I replied, pulling their door most of the way shut. We walked down the hall to Emmett and Rosalie's room. Thankfully, the door was open, so there was no chance of walking in on them. They were both lying on the bed, Emmett with one hand behind his head and the other wrapped around Rose at his side. They were staring up at the ceiling and laughing together at a joke Esme and I must've missed.

"Emmett, Rose, Esme and I are leaving on a hunting trip for a few days," I told them.

"Ditching us already?" Emmett teased. "And you think Rose and I are bad."

Neither Esme nor I said anything in reply. What we did together was not our children's business.

"Behave, and don't break anything," I told them, specifically looking at Emmett. "I'm leaving my cell phone here, so you won't be able to talk to me until we get back. Remember that we are still guests in this house."

"Sure Pops," Emmett replied, waving his free hand at me. "Go have your fun."

Esme said goodbye to each of them before we left, leaving this door open, and headed back to the living room. As we walked to the door, I pulled Esme close to me, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked Esme.

"Yes," she replied, smiling softly.

I offered her my hand and she took it lightly before we took off, out the door and away from the house.

**A/N2: Please review if you haven't done so already. I realize a few of you awesome readers have already done so and i don't think it will let you review again, so if you have any comments about this latest chapter, don't hesitate to drop me a PM or something. THanks!**

**-Wish**


	51. Chapter 51: Rash Decisions

**A/N: So here is the much anticipated, climax of New Moon from Carlisle's perspective. This is a very tense chapter and full of emotions, rather than action. In fact, there is very little action. Still, I hope you enjoy, and if you have any friends who have stopped reading this story because they don't like New Moon, please tell them there are probably only two or three more chapters left before we get into the events of New Moon. Enjoy!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 51: Rash Decisions_

It was cold for once. As a vampire, there weren't many places that felt cold to me anymore. But here did. As Esme and I sat on the snow-covered coast, looking out over the Bering Strait to Russia, I couldn't help but feel cold. It was odd. Usually I felt warm after a recent feeding. Esme and I had been feasting on caribou and other local wildlife in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve for the last few days. It was a good place to hunt, as there weren't any towns close by. In fact, it was the most remote national preserve in the United States.

"It's so beautiful," Esme commented from my arms. She was curled up against my chest as we perched on a rock, looking out over the water. The sun was setting in the distance, its last rays dancing off our skin. I looked down at the angel in my arms and watched how the pink, orange, and yellow light shimmered on her perfect face. It was moments like this that took my breath away, even though it was no longer necessary.

"Yes," I agreed. "But it does not hold one iota of my attention when you are here."

Esme smiled up at me, gracing me with a soft kiss, which I savored as much as I could. "Even after almost 100 years of marriage, you still know how to charm me."

"Mhmm," I mumbled, leaning in for another kiss. "It's taken me so long to finally get it right. I can't imagine how human men do it."

Esme laughed and my heart soared. Even now, it still draws the same reaction from me as it did the very first time I heard the heavenly sound.

We watched the sun set further, reveling in each other's presence. We didn't think about the family. Our thoughts didn't stray to Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose, left back in Denali. Our minds didn't drift to Edward, on a trail somewhere none of us knew. We lived in the moment, and it was glorious.

But as the Sun sunk further, almost completely below the horizon, I felt Esme stiffen in my arms.

"What is it, my angel?" I asked, concerned. Did I do something?

Esme frowned. "I just had the most horrible feeling. I can't explain it. I just feel like something bad is happening, right now. I feel like the others need me." She looked up at me again and I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Do you want to go back?" I asked her. "We can be back by tomorrow morning, if you feel we need to be."

Esme looked back out over the sunset. She seemed torn, reluctant to go, but still feeling like her children needed her. I didn't want her to make herself stay for my benefit. I was fine as long as she was with me.

"Let's go then," I told her, standing up from my spot on the rock and pulling her to her feet after me.

"But, the trip?"

"I think it's about time we returned anyway. It was a good hunting trip." It had been good. We'd both been satisfied a few times over again now. The caribou were hearty, and were a bit like my own favorite, elk.

"Alright," Esme replied. I took her hand, squeezing it gently in a reassuring gesture, before we took off, heading east again, back to Denali.

~*~

I could almost feel the anticipation as Esme and I entered the Denali's house again. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper stood, tensed, in the living room, all centered around my cell phone, which rested on the coffee table. I didn't need Edward's mind-reading or Jasper's empathy to know that something was wrong. Where was Alice?

All three of them looked up immediately as Esme and I walked through the back door to the residence. I could see fear and uncertainty in all of my present children's eyes.

"What happened?" I asked immediately. "Where's Alice."

They all looked at each other; as if they were all hoping one of the others would answer my questions. In the end, it was Jasper who spoke up.

"Alice had a vision yesterday." He seemed to be having difficulty keeping his voice even and strong. I could see the conflict in his eyes. There was more to it than just "Alice had a vision."

"Of what?" I prompted, trying to keep the concern to a minimum. I imagine Jasper was already having a hard time with his own emotions and Emmett's and Rosalie's.

"Of Bella," he answered. "Alice saw Bella jump off a cliff."

It was the last thing I was expecting to hear. I had thought that maybe I'd hear about someone slipping up. It would've been harder this time around, since this is the Denali's residence, not ours. It wouldn't be fair for them to have to pack up and move like we had a few times. This was the last thing I'd expected to hear. I fought to keep outward calm as the shock and horror flooded emotions. Bella. It couldn't be. After all this time, she couldn't have tried to kill herself. I saw Esme beginning to collapse herself, and caught her before her legs could completely fail her. The look on her face was of pure agony. It was like she'd lost a daughter. And in a sense, she had. Esme, and myself for that matter, thought of Bella as a third daughter, even after the family had moved from Forks. Leaving her behind had been as hard as leaving Alice or Rosalie would've been. And now, losing her, knowing that she'd committed suicide, it took all my willpower not to collapse into sobs like Esme was.

But Jasper continued, obviously fighting to keep his voice steady as our pain assaulted him. I momentarily felt sorry for my empathic son, having to deal with everyone else's emotions, as well as his own. "Alice went back to Forks, to see if her vision had come true already, or to try and stop it from happening. I told her it wasn't a good idea, Carlisle. I told her it was a rash decision and that we shouldn't meddle in Bella's life anymore, but she wouldn't listen to me. She took your car south."

That was where Alice was. In Forks. Had she found Bella? Was she attending the funeral right now? But then, why were they all standing around my phone? Were they expecting her to call to tell them the details? This would tear Edward to shreds.

"Edward," I rasped. "Does he know yet?" The news would devastate him. I wasn't sure if I could stand to be there when he found out that, despite everything, despite all the pain he'd put himself through to save her from James's venom, despite the move, despite his difficult hunt for Victoria, Bella had died.

My question was met with a resounding silence. Jasper and Emmett's eyes turned towards Rosalie, of all people. I didn't quite understand why. Had he called while Esme and I were away? Had she spoken to him? I looked to my eldest daughter and was surprised to see guilt and regret marring her beautiful features. But I was confused now. Why would Rosalie regret anything?

"Rose?" I asked.

She seemed to be thinking over her words carefully. "Yes," she said softly, barely above a whisper. "He called your cell phone not long after Alice left. Jasper and Emmett were out with Eleazar, hunting nearby. I answered it. He said he was in South America, and he asked for you. I told him you were out hunting with Esme. Then he asked for Alice and I told him—"Rosalie's words choked off as she hung her head in shame.

But I needed her to finish. I needed to know exactly what she told Edward. I could see it was extremely important now. "Rosalie," I said, firmly, in a voice I rarely used with my children. Only when I was completely serious, did I speak to any of them this way. "What did you tell Edward?"

Rosalie knew she had to answer. "I told him Alice saw Bella jump off a cliff and kill herself and that she was heading back down to Forks."

"And what did he say?"

"Nothing," Rosalie replied, honestly. "He just hung up." I could hear the worry and fear in her voice, as well as the remorse for what she'd told Edward.

"Then Alice called, not long after Emmett and I got back," Jasper took over again. "Bella is alive. She jumped off the cliff for fun, with some of the Quileute boys from the reservation."

Relief flooded me and I heard Esme sigh in relief, whispering, "Thank Goodness." But I had the feeling that there was still more to the story yet. So I waited patiently for Jasper to continue.

"Alice said that she was staying the night with Bella. Then, about six hours ago, she called again. "Edward had called Bella's house while Alice was out, pretending to be you, Carlisle. A friend of Bella's, Jacob Black, had answered and when Edward asked for Charlie, he told him that he was at the funeral. Edward thought it was Bella's, though it was really a friend of Charlie's. Alice said that Edward threw his phone away in Rio de Janeiro and that he's going to Italy, to talk to the Volturi. Alice said that Edward is going to try to get them to kill him. She and Bella went after him, to try to stop him, but they aren't sure if they'll make it."

The information hit me like a blow to the gut, almost making me double over. I only managed to remain upright by gripping the back of the couch in front of me, tearing holes in the black leather. Esme collapsed into the chair in front of me, burying her face in her hands. "No, no, no, no, no," she whispered, again and again, barely loud enough for me to hear.

Conflict raged inside me. I felt the urge to run after him myself. He was my first son, even though he was the youngest in age. I was closer only to Esme. He couldn't be going to the Volturi. He couldn't be asking them to kill him. He didn't deserve an end like that.

"Emmett and Rosalie tried to go after Edward too, but Alice was adamant that Bella was the only one who could bring him back."

"Where are they now?" I asked.

"They are probably still in the air, heading towards Florence. Alice says that Aro refused to kill Edward directly, because of his tie to you. Alice and Bella will borrow a car from Florence and drive to Volterra, in hopes of stopping Edward before he does something that will force the Volturi's hand."

"So we can only wait," I concluded. I sat down heavily next to Esme on the couch. She curled up to me and I wrapped my arms around her, automatically trying to comfort her. The others followed my lead, taking seats around the living room, but nothing too far from the cell phone that remained on the coffee table, the center of attention. We watched it in anticipation, as if it were a bomb that could go off any second.

As I held the sobbing Esme, my own emotions were overwhelming me, breaking through the careful calm that I had worked on for centuries. There have been only a few occasions where this has happened before, but they were never in front of the entire family like this. I felt pain and worry for Edward. I felt helpless to Alice and Bella, who were right now jetting to Italy to try and stop him, possibly risking their own lives in the process. Was I to really lose, not just one child, but three? I felt guilt over allowing the family to leave Forks in the first place, and also for allowing him to go after Victoria. If only I'd just said "no". If only I'd done what I thought was really best and stopped him from leaving.

But underneath all my guilt and pain at the loss of my first son, I felt the sting of betrayal as well. Not because of what Rosalie had done. I couldn't blame her for Edward's actions. She'd made an tactless mistake. She wasn't a very soft person. That just wasn't her personality. I knew that, and loved her anyways. I'd already forgiven Rosalie for her words to Edward. I could see in her face as she sat with Emmett across from Esme and I that she felt remorse and that she was blaming herself over Edward's impulsive decision.

No. I didn't feel betrayal from Rosalie. I felt it from Edward. How could he do this to me? How could he do this to Esme? How could he be so thoughtless, so selfish? Edward had always thought he was being selfish with Bella, and I'd always told him that he wasn't. Was I wrong?

No, my conscience replied, adamantly. Edward was one of the least selfish people I knew.

But then how could he do this to me? I asked again. Was it something I'd done?

I kept going over and over everything I'd said to Edward. Everything through the years. Every piece of advice, every word said in anger (which, I am happy to say were very few and far between), every expression of love, even something as simple as a "Goodbye" when I left for a hospital, or a "Good evening" when I returned. Over and over again.

My thoughts occupied me for hours, going in constant circles. I kept trying to find some time I'd gone wrong. Some time where I'd pushed him to do this. I think the fact that, despite it all, I couldn't, made me more upset. I held Esme close, feeling each of her sobs, as I stared at the cell phone on the table. I hardly dared to breathe. I wasn't sure I'd be able to, without breaking down into sobs myself. So I held my breath as I stared at the phone, and in between the pain and the guilt and the worry, I prayed.

Lord, if You still see fit to listen to my prayers, hear me now. Help them. Carry Alice and Bella swiftly and safely to Volterra. Help them to know the proper course to bring all of them home. But Lord, most of all, be with Edward. Help him to see that he is still loved. He is still needed. Please, if it is at all possible, bring him back to us. But if he is beyond this world, I beg You to welcome him into Your kingdom with open arms. You will not find a soul more pure and worthy.

I was silent as I thought and prayed for hours. The moon and then the sun moved across the sky and none of us moved an inch. The Denalis seemed to know that something was wrong, because they stayed clear of the living room, giving us our space. I was grateful for their understanding. I sat, still like only a vampire could be, when finally, as the sun was beginning to sink once more below the horizon, the small phone sprang to life on the table.

I snatched it up before the first ring even ended and had it at my ear. "Hello?" I said, urgently.

"Carlisle? It's Alice. Have you spoken to Jasper?"

"Yes, Alice," I replied.

**A/N2: I know you probably hate me for leaving you with a cliffy, but C'mon! You have to know what's going to happen next!**

**Anyways, the reason why I wrote another Author's Note is because I really want your opinion on how I did. Particularly with describing the emotions. Was I completely off base? Was it not descriptive enough? Did you really get the idea of what Carlisle was feeling, or was not personal enough? There are guaranteed to be some other emotional moments in this story and I'd like to get them right. So please REVIEW and tell me if this was okay or if I still need to work on it. Thanks!**

**-Wish**


	52. Chapter 52: Reunion

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. Edward, Alice, and Bella's homecoming. Don't forget to review and tell me what you liked and/or didn't like. I really appreciate constructive criticism.**

**Thanks! **

**-Wish**

**P.S. Kudos to Animal_lover19, my 300****th**** reviewer! Yay 300! This IS NOT Sparta! It's TWLIGHT! (So much better)**

_Previously on Chapter 51:_

_I snatched it up before the first ring even ended and had it at my ear. "Hello?" I said, urgently._

"_Carlisle? It's Alice. Have you spoken to Jasper?"_

"_Yes, Alice," I replied._

_Chapter 52: Reunion_

"So you know Bella and I are in Italy."

"Yes, Alice," I replied. I was beginning to get worried. Was she stalling? Was she trying to ready me for the worst? Had they failed? My mind grasped wildly for some answer to her hesitation.

"Alice, what happened?" I finally asked. Hearing something from her, anything, would be better than letting my mind imagine all the worst possible scenarios.

"We're okay," Alice said. "All of us."

All of them. At her words, relief and happiness flooded my typical calm. I heard Esme breathe a wonderful sigh of relief and saw her pull Rosalie and Emmett into a large hug.

"Thank you, Alice," I told her, hoping to convey the depth of my gratitude through the cell phone, but doubting that it was even possible.

"It's not me we should be thanking," Alice replied. "Bella did spectacularly. Only…" Her voice trailed off, seemingly uncertain as to whether she should continue.

"Alice?" I prompted.

"Now's not the time or place," she said. "When we get back." Alice then gave me their flight information. They'd be flying into Sea-Tac airport, closer to Forks than Denali. They are leaving right away, so they should be back later tonight.

"Charlie doesn't know about any of this past that Bella left," Alice warned. "He's going to be very upset when Bella gets back."

"We'll return to the house in Forks," I told her. "Then we'll meet you at the airport.

"Alright, Carlisle," Alice replied. "We'll see you then."

"Be safe," I urged.

"We are," Alice replied.

She hung up and I sighed, placing the phone in my pocket, and turning to my family. I could see that all of them had heard every word of the conversation, on Alice's side as well as mine. The elation and relief was splashed across each of their faces. Rosalie in particular looked relieved that her mistake had not resulted in the worse. She was hugging Emmett, alternating between burying her face in his chest and kissing him.

Esme moved from her seat on the couch to my side. I wrapped her up and held her to my chest, burying my nose in her soft hair. I loved her sweet, cinnamon sugar scent. It was soothing to me, but exhilarating at the same time. I couldn't explain the emotions it stirred in me.

"Carlisle," Esme whispered into my shirt. I pulled away only slightly to look down into her honey-golden eyes. They looked back up at me, the shock, sadness, and worry gone. Her face was a mirror of my own joy.

"We should get going," I told her. "They'll be getting back late, but it's going to take some time to drive down there. Where's Jasper?" Looking around, I noticed that my middle son had left the room. But it wasn't until a few seconds later that I understood where he'd gone, and why. I imagine he'd left the moment I'd told Alice we'd meet her at the Sea-Tac airport.

"Let's go," he said, tossing two bags to Emmett and another to me. I caught it easily, still with one arm holding my lovely angel. "We leave now; we'll have plenty of time."

I heard a slight shuffle on the stairs and looked up in time to see Carmen peak out cautiously from behind the wall. I could hear Tanya, Kate, and Eleazar behind her. But Carmen was the only one I saw and the only one who spoke.

"Was that Alice?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes," I replied.

"And Edward?" So the others had told the Denalis about Alice's vision of Bella, and of Edward's overreaction.

"He's fine. They're flying back to Forks."

I heard four sighs and the others stepped forward, obviously reassured now that they knew everything would be alright.

"So you are meeting them?" Eleazar clarified. "They are already on their way?"

"Alice called us as they were going to the airport."

Eleazar nodded. "Give Alice and Bella our thanks."

"We will be sure to. Thank you, Eleazar. Hopefully it will not be so long until the next time we meet."

"Yes," Eleazar agreed. "You are all more than welcome anytime. And there are always bigger bears up here."

Emmett grinned as Eleazar winked at him.

"And you are always welcome with us." I was hesitant to name a place. I realized, speaking with Eleazar, that everything was uncertain now. Bella and Edward were obviously together now. And obviously Edward's idea of trying to let Bella move on wasn't going to work. So where did that leave us? With two houses, one in Ithaca, one in Forks, and a family decision to make. Would we stay, or leave again? I liked to think that Edward had realized that Bella couldn't leave him any more than he could leave her. They couldn't be apart. I could see that much.

We'll have to stay, I thought. There's no doubt about it. We have to move back to Forks.

The five of us climbed into Emmett's Jeep; I took the wheel. We took the straightest, fastest route we could, short of taking the Jeep through woods and across bodies of water. We only slowed if we came across a cop, which we did a couple of times. But it was easy to hear their radios and the engines of their cruisers before we came close to them. We didn't get caught speeding. Not once. We made it back to the house in Forks with a few hours until we had to meet Bella, Alice, and Edward at the airport. They'd be on the last leg of their journey, from Atlanta to Seattle.

We busied ourselves at home. It was fairly empty, only holding a few pieces of furniture that we'd left behind. Not that we needed much. We didn't sleep or eat, so no food or beds were necessary. We had a few couches and a TV and that was enough for Emmett. Rosalie curled up on the couch with him, seemingly focused on the program, but I knew my daughter better than that. Rosalie's mind was buzzing behind the forced attention. Jasper was fidgety, constantly glancing at the clock while pretending to watch TV with Emmett and Rosalie. If he could fly, he would've probably left to meet Alice's plane before it'd even landed.

Esme and I busied ourselves with cleaning. The house had been out of use for about six months now. While we'd occupied it, there hadn't been a single microbe of dust on any of the surfaces. Esme had kept the house well cleaned in and presentable. But now a good layer of dust covered almost every surface. She went to work almost immediately and I valorously offered my assistance. She'd smiled and handed me a dust rag to start on the kitchen.

I worked diligently, letting my mind revel in Alice's and Bella's success. It'd taken a misguided suicide attempt and a frantic race to Italy to finally bring my youngest and, at the same time oldest, son home. The thought sent a bolt of excitement through my chest each time it came up. Edward was coming home! Finally, after all this time, he was coming home. I would get to talk to him and even hug him again. And Esme would finally feel complete again. Because I'd made up my mind on the drive down from Denali. We weren't leaving Bella again. Even if, by some miracle or delusion, Edward wanted to leave again, I would refuse. This was where my family belonged right now. More than likely, that would change sometime. But not any time soon, and certainly not right now. I'd be selling the house in Ithaca. It should fetch a good price with all the renovations Esme did to it. It was a completely restored historical house. Someone would want it, whether it was a rich man or an avid historian or the State of New York.

When the time came, nobody needed to be reminded. As soon as the clock ticked off the proper time, everyone stopped what they were doing and were out the door in seconds, Esme and myself included. We drove to Sea-Tac airport, again making record time. We went as far into the airport as we were able to without buying tickets for a flight. That meant we ended up situating ourselves in a quiet corner near the security checkpoint, beside a large pillar that partially obscured us from the rest of the crowd. Esme was scanning the masses of passengers passing through the outbound side of the metal detectors, anxiously searching for the three faces we all longed for.

I couldn't help a small chuckle, though I knew what she was feeling exactly. I leaned down, placing my mouth near her ear. "We still have a little time," I whispered to her.

She smiled up at me, but continued to look through the crowds. I saw Jasper doing the same, though I could also see the effort he was putting out to ignore the hundreds of humans. Human blood was still difficult for him to resist. But I knew he would do anything for Alice, the least of which was stand in the corner, enduring the hundreds of walking temptations.

Rosalie and Emmett had volunteered to find my car. Alice said she'd left it here. I assumed Rosalie was reluctant to meet Edward face to face, especially after what happened. I could understand. There was bound to be some sort of argument when that subject came up, and perhaps the airport full of extremely fragile, vulnerable witnesses wasn't a good place for it. No doubt the "conversation" was going to be rough.

I smelled them before I saw them. The sweet sunshine, lilac, and honey scent was unmistakable. It was Edward's distinctive scent, and one I hadn't smelled anew in much too long. My head snapped up as the others did. Half a second later I smelled Alice, and then right after her, was Bella's unmistakable floral scent. They were here, close. I began looking through the crowds too, until I spotted them walking down the way towards security. I sent Jasper a wave of calm and cautiousness. I didn't want to have him run to her and be tackled by airport security. That was the last thing we needed at this time.

He loosened a little, but his eyes never left the short figure that was walking on one side of Bella. Bella looked exhausted. There were circles under her eyes, almost as dark as our own when we haven't fed in too long. She was being helped along, obviously not very steady on her legs. I didn't doubt the reason. My gaze moved up to the tallest member of the trio. My son's eyes met mine as I looked his way. They were onyx and the circles under his eyes stood out in stark contrast with his pale skin. He looked like he was as tired as Bella, though I knew that couldn't be true. But he certainly hasn't been feeding as often as he should.

Welcome back, Edward, I thought to him. I almost missed having my thoughts entirely to myself. I'd become so accustomed to sharing them with Edward all the time.

He nodded slightly and I saw a smile break his previously stoic expression. I smiled back and waited as patiently as I could for them to finally get through security.

The moment they were past the metal detectors, Alice was at Jasper's side. They stared into each other's eyes in their own way that makes everyone around them turn to give them privacy. Edward was holding Bella as they walked to us. Esme let go of my hand and stepped forward, scooping Bella up in a tight hug. Edward didn't let go of Bella even then.

"Thank you so much," Esme whispered in Bella's ear. She then moved on to Edward, pulling him down slightly to her level.

"You will never put me through that again," she told him, almost growling.

Edward grinned the grin I hadn't seen since Bella's eighteenth birthday party. "Sorry, Mom."

I turned to Bella who looked like she was just managing to balance on her feet with Edward's help. "Thank you, Bella," I said. "We owe you."

"Hardly," Bella mumbled, her words slightly slurred by her weariness.

"She's dead on her feet," Esme admonished Edward. "Let's get her home."

We started making our way back out of the airport. Edward and Esme were practically carrying Edward. I led the way out and Alice and Jasper brought up the rear, never once looking away from each other.

Emmett and Rosalie had found my Mercedes and had moved it closer to the Jeep. They waited by it, leaning up against the hood. I have to admit, I was glad to see it wasn't damaged at all.

As Rosalie and Emmett came into view, Edward tensed and I could see the anger in his face. Esme could spot it too.

"Don't," she told him. "She feels awful."

"She should," Edward replied coldly.

"It's not her fault," Bella mumbled.

"Let her make amends," Esme asked him. "We'll ride with Alice and Jasper."

Edward glared at Rosalie, but Bella's soft, garbled plea persuaded him. He half carried her to the car, helping her into the backseat before climbing in himself. I have to admit, that was one car I was glad not to be in. No doubt the ride back to Forks would be the tensest hour or so in the history of the family, possibly even beating out the time Rosalie and Jasper had voted to kill Bella.

Esme and I climbed into Emmett's Jeep as Alice and Jasper got in the back. Our ride home was fairly peaceful. With the exception of a few brief hugs from Alice, neither Alice nor Jasper said a word the entire trip home, or even looked away from each other's eyes. When we finally pulled into the driveway of our home in Forks, I could see that the others weren't back yet. The house was dark as we pulled in and my Mercedes wasn't in the driveway or the garage. I couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. Had something happened along the way? Had Edward been able to forgive Rosalie? Had they turned my car into a pile of scrap metal on the side of some back road between here and the airport?

I breathed a sigh of relief when the lights turned off the highway and my car pulled down the twisting driveway. They were home, and my car didn't look any worse for wear. But what about the people inside it? I heard the angry voice as soon as one of the doors opened. It was Edward's. I sighed and looked to Esme. Now it would begin.

**A/N2: Thanks for reading! Now's the time to review. Also, I'm going to close the Rising Sun poll on my site after this chapter and give the results when I update again. So if you haven't voted, VOTE!**

**Thanks a bunch. I hope you liked this. There are probably two chapters or so left of New Moon before we get into Eclipse! Yay! I'm already over halfway there!**

**-Wish**


	53. Chapter 53: Apology

**A/N: Haha! I guess I've found my sure-fire cure to writer's block! Write an author's note admitting you have it and then post it for your readers! Guarantee you'll have a chapter ready to go the next night! I know that's how it's worked for me the past couple times.**

**So here's the next chapter of Rising Sun. This is sort of where the Cullens begin to sort through everything that's happened. Up until now, Carlisle has only really been getting pieces of the whole situation. Now it's all supposed to be laid down on the table. Well, almost. Bella still has her part next chapter.**

**So I hope you enjoy this one and I can guarantee there will be another chapter to come soon, if not this weekend, then by Thanksgiving (November 26 for all you international folks!). **

**Enjoy and Review!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 53: Apology_

Esme and I left the relative safety of the house for the fight that was about to boil over outside in the driveway. Edward was the one doing most of the shouting, rattling off words so fast even I couldn't quite understand him. But the words I did understand were foul and had no place in this family.

"EDWARD!" He stopped, turning to me.

"You know better than anyone I will not tolerate that sort of language in this family," I scolded.

Edward looked penitent. "I'm sorry, Carlisle," he apologized.

"I am not the one you should be apologizing to," I replied, nodding towards Rosalie.

Edward tensed, but he turned stiffly towards his sister. Emmett had gotten between the two of them, obviously attempting to shield Rosalie from Edward. But as Edward turned, Rosalie briefly touched him on the shoulder and he stepped partially aside.

"Rosalie," Edward started, but he stopped. His voice was hard and I could tell he was struggling to keep composure for this apology. Rosalie could obviously tell too.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Rosalie said suddenly. "What I did was a wretched, horrible thing and I feel terrible about it. No matter what my feelings are of Bella, I should not have hurt you like I did. There is no excuse for that. You are still my brother."

Edward looked taken aback by Rosalie's confession. Obviously he hadn't been expecting for her to give in so easily. Obviously he'd been expecting her to be difficult and stubborn. Quite honestly, so had I. Rosalie wasn't the most humble person; she was very proud. That Rosalie would apologize so easily shocked me. And I could see by Esme's face that she felt the same.

Edward and Rosalie stared at each other for a long time, neither speaking. I could tell by Edward's faraway look that he was listening to her thoughts. But he wasn't getting angry, so I could only assume that what Rosalie was telling him wasn't confrontational.

"How could you Rose?" Edward murmured, assumingly in response to something Rosalie had thought. She answered him back silently because all of the sudden, he sighed.

"It was a mistake. One I don't intend on making again."

"Hey, can we bring this conversation out of Edward's head?" Emmett suggested. "I'm sure the rest of us would like to hear it."

"Emmett," Esme began, but Edward cut her off.

"No, it's alright, Esme," he said. "Emmett's right. The rest of you should hear this just as much as Rosalie or I. We should go inside."

We were all still standing out in the driveway where Edward had begun yelling at Rosalie. Esme and I stood just at the base of the steps to the kitchen door; Alice and Jasper were in the doorway itself. None of us had moved at all.

"That would probably be a good idea," I admitted. "Shall we?"

Alice and Jasper turned and retreated back into the house. Rosalie and Emmett walked by us, Emmett not moving from Rosalie's side one step. Edward was just behind Emmett. He paused as he passed Esme and me.

"I am truly sorry for worrying you both so deeply," he said. "It was selfish and irresponsible of me."

Esme smiled at him and gave him a hug. "You're safe. That's all that matters. The past is forgotten."

Edward returned her smile, but I could still tell that, although Esme forgave him, he didn't forgive himself. Edward tended to hold onto his mistakes too long, rather than learning from them and letting them go.

Edward climbed the stairs and entered the house. I gave Esme's hand a light squeeze before we both headed back inside. The others had already made their way to the dining room where we typically had our family meetings. It was a good place to talk, and it didn't get used otherwise.

I took my seat at the head of the table with Esme. Edward was already seated in his usual spot at my other side and Alice was next to him. Jasper had taken the seat on her other side, while Rosalie was sitting opposite me with Emmett at her other side. The arrangement was familiar. There was another family meeting in this very room with a similar arrangement not long ago, which had changed each of our lives. It had been over a human girl. This one had a vaguely similar topic.

When I sat down, all eyes fell to Edward to explain what had happened between him and Rosalie outside. He sighed before speaking.

"I really owe all of you an apology for my behavior the last few months. I have not been fair to any of you. Jasper," he looked across the table at his brother, "None of what happened on Bella's birthday was your fault. It was an accident." He seemed to have a hard time forcing himself to say those words. But I didn't think it was because he blamed Jasper, more because he blamed himself and what he was. Edward always blamed himself. But rather than correcting him, I let him continue. I doubted he didn't hear my thoughts anyway.

"I owe all of you so much, for agreeing to move, even though it was uprooting all of your lives again. I had no right to insist that we all move because of me. I made a huge mistake, in doing so. Leaving Bella was the worst mistake I have ever made. I can't even begin to say how guilty I feel for abandoning her. I know now, I can't live without her. I know we now live in Ithaca, but I have to stay here. I can't live without Bella."

Nobody really spoke after Edward's speech. They just sat where they were, probably digesting everything that had happened so far. One by one, each set of eyes turned on me. They were all a different shade of gold, since our feeding habits had been sporadic of late. Edward's were by far the darkest. I doubted he'd fed in the past week, possibly even two. Esme, on the other hand, had the brightest gold eyes and I imagine mine were probably a similar shade. We'd hunted the most recently, just two days ago.

I couldn't believe it'd only been two days. So much had happened in the two days, making the time feel like a lifetime in itself. And I knew what a lifetime felt like. I'd lived four or five already. All eyes were turned on me, waiting for the final verdict. Edward hadn't wasted time, suggesting that we return to Ithaca to try everything all over again, thankfully. I wasn't putting my family through that.

"Our lives are here," I said finally. "This is where we're going to stay for as long as we can. And when the time comes that we are forced to move on, we'll talk again."

The others around the table accepted my decision, nodding. Rosalie looked almost relieved that we were staying here. I knew she liked Forks better than Ithaca, but I didn't know she liked it that much.

"Edward," Alice said. Her voice was almost warning. We all looked to her, but she was staring at Edward, a look of fierce determination on her face.

"Alice," Edward sighed. "It's fine. It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does, Edward," Alice retorted. "It does matter. It involves all of us, not just you and Bella. You have to tell them. Now."

I looked over at Edward, raising an eyebrow in question. "Edward? Was there something more you wished to share?" I asked.

Edward glared at Alice, but sighed. "There are some things you need to know, about what happened in Volterra," he replied. "When I originally went to Aro, asking him to kill me, he refused out of respect for you. He actually offered me a place in his guard, but I refused, of course.

"After his rejection, I decided to force his hand by revealing what I was in the city, so that he'd have to kill me. I eventually decided to step out into the sunlight at noon, in the Palazzo dei Priori. It was St. Marcus Day, so there were huge crowds in the streets. I waited until midday, when the sun would be directly overhead and there would be the most people. I was about to reveal myself when Bella and Alice arrived. Bella actually tried to tackle me, when she saw what I was going to do. At first, I didn't believe that it was really her. It thought…well let's just say I didn't think she was really there in Volterra with me. But I figured it out eventually and stepped back further into the shadows.

"Unfortunately Felix, Demetri, and Jane showed up with orders to take me to Aro. Things would've gotten out of hand, had Alice not showed up too. We went with them to see Aro. He says he is surprised that you have been able to be successful in 'this unorthodox path you've chosen' and 'happy to be wrong'. He talked to Bella a bit. He was curious about how I can't hear her mind and tested himself and Jane."

I cringed at the thought of Jane turning her power on Bella. It was a horrible gift and one I dare say, Jane is not entirely responsible about using. From what I'd heard of her, she was often times downright sadistic about it.

"What happened?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Nothing," Edward replied. I could hear a bit of relief and even smug happiness in his voice. "Aro didn't hear a thing and Jane could only stare at her angrily. Neither of them could touch her, figuratively speaking."

This was an interesting development. Bella's ability to thwart Edward's mind reading had always been a subject of my curiosity since the first time I found out Edward couldn't hear her thoughts. And to hear that it extended to Aro and Jane only increased that curiosity.

But if I was this intrigued by Bella, Aro would be ten times worse. What was more interesting to him than someone whose thoughts he couldn'thear?

"What happened after that," I asked, though I thought I knew already.

"Aro offered Alice a place in the guard."

I heard Jasper growl from his seat and the room took on a tense feeling.

"Jazz," Alice whispered, rubbing her hand over his shoulder and arm. "It's fine. I said 'no'."

Jasper still seemed tense, but the emotional atmosphere calmed a bit. He was still angry, but Jasper was in control again. Edward's words puzzled me though. I was so sure Aro would be looking to expand his "collection" with Bella. It seemed just what Aro would do.

Edward continued after a moment. "After that, Alice, Bella, and I left. It was feeding time," he explained with open revulsion. "We weren't allowed to fully leave until nightfall, but we made sure Bella was as far from that chamber as possible. After it was dark, they let us go," he finished.

Alice sighed, annoyed. "Edward," she groaned.

"It doesn't matter Alice, it won't come to anything," Edward hissed back. The only reason I could hear it was because he was sitting right next to me.

"It does matter, Edward, and you know that. Look." She got a far-away look for a moment before coming back to the present.

Edward growled deep in his throat, apparently in response to whatever Alice had shown him. Obviously he didn't like it one bit. "It's not going to be like that, Alice," he said through gritted teeth.

"Edward," Alice said, her voice not raised, but urgent. She stared back at him, her face set in a hard expression. They must've been communicating silently through Edward's mind-reading. Alice was always the best at picking up on Edward's signals.

"Fine," she said at last. She turned away from Edward to face me. "Edward didn't tell you everything that happened in Volterra."

"Alice_,_" Edward said, warningly.

But she ignored him. "Aro offered Bella a place in the guard."

I thought so, I thought. But Edward, why would you keep this from us? Edward tensed in his seat, not meeting my eyes.

Alice continued, "Caius objected though. He was insistent that the law be upheld and that Bella should die. Edward tried to object, but Caius knew that he didn't want to change Bella. I had to show Aro one of my visions of Bella as a vampire in order to convince him that they should leave Bella alive."

"But I thought those visions were still uncertain?" I asked.

Alice finally looked down, her eyes falling to her hands in her lap. "On the plane, Bella and I were talking and the subject of changing her came up. Bella asked me to do it and for a while I entertained the idea. At one point, it was quite clear and that was the vision I showed him. Or at least tried to show him. I don't know if he saw more, but that was what I focused on, like when I'm trying to make Edward see something.

"Anyways, Aro let us go, with the requirement that we change Bella. Soon. And he said the Volturi would be checking in, which they will, though I can't pin down a time."

I looked sideways at Edward, Is all this true, Edward?

He nodded.

"Why did you keep it from us?"

Edward sighed tiredly. "You know how the Volturi are. Time isn't the same to them, or even us, as it is to Bella. It would be years before they came to check on her. And by then, I figured I would have a plan to keep her safe. She wouldn't have to be changed."

I sighed. Edward cared so much for Bella and could be so stubborn in his views.

"Perhaps we should talk about this another time," Esme suggested. "A lot has happened today, why don't we wait until we have all had time to digest everything?"

I looked over my family and then nodded in agreement. Although vampires couldn't get physically tired, I could see the mental wear on each of their faces. A lot has happened that has to be sorted through. And it would take a good amount of time to do so, even for a vampire's brain.

"That's a good idea," I agreed. I turned to Alice. "We'll have time to talk about this later?"

Alice nodded. "Yes. But we shouldn't put this off too long."

I nodded too. "Okay then." I stood, signaling the end of the family meeting. The others shuffled from their chairs and headed in different directions. Rosalie and Emmett settled on the couch while I saw Alice and Jasper head for the stairs. Esme had stood and was hugging Edward. As I walked over to them she looked up and cradled Edward's chin in her hand lovingly.

"You look so thirsty," she said. "Did you feed at all?"

"I did," Edward replied, "Though not as often as I should have, I'll admit."

"You should go hunt," I told him. "Before you head over to Bella's house." I could see it on his face all through the meeting. He was anxious to get back to Bella and I didn't blame him. After spending so much time away from her, and the disastrous consequences of that break, I had expected him to refuse to leave Bella's side no matter what.

"Charlie banned me from the house," he murmured.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "That never seemed to stop you before," I reminded him. I knew he often slipped into Bella's room at night. Edward had hardly spent a single night at home during the time he and Bella had been together, before we'd made the huge mistake to leave.

Edward grinned sheepishly.

"Go hunt," I urged him. "Bella will be sleeping for a while after what happened. Her mind is probably trying to work through everything and I doubt the lack of sleep helped at all."

"I tried to get her to sleep," Edward insisted.

"I wasn't blaming you son," I replied. "I know Bella is stubborn. It's fine. Now go."

He hesitated for a second more before nodding and leaving the dining room. I heard the kitchen door half a second later.

I looked down to Esme, who was smiling up at me almost knowingly.

"What?" I asked her.

She just shook her head though and leaned in to rest it on my chest. "Nothing. Everything is perfect."

**A/N2: So just one last note. This is a sort of repeat of my note that I posted separate from a chapter. There will probably be one more chapter after this one (the vote from New Moon) and then we'll jump right on into Eclipse with gusto! So if you know anyone who stopped reading this story because they didn't really like Eclipse, tell them that were almost out of it and they are safe!**

**Just want to thank all you guys because Rising Sun is almost a year's work in progress! This Christmas will be Rising Sun's 1****st**** anniversary! I can't believe I've been working on it for so long! It's only because of you guys. You da you da best!**

**So the results from the last poll on whether I should revise the first couple chapters of this story is officially closed. The results were 14% Change 'em and 86% No, I like 'em how they are. Thanks guys for voting! I won't be changing the chapters in the story, however, this has really been rubbing me for a while now so I'm going to compromise. I will be rewriting the first two (possibly three) chapters and putting them in an "Outtakes" story. I just feel like the first couple chapters really captured such a pivotal time in Carlisle's life (his changing and his decision to abstain from human blood) properly. So I hope you guys go and check that out and review like you do for this story!**

**And speaking of polls, there's a new one. Vote on which of my stories are your favorite. You can pick up to two! I hope you guys will give me your opinions again!**

**Thanks a bunch!**

**-Wish**

**P.S. Don't forget to review while you're down here! Push the button! You know you want to! **_**Press it…**__**Press it…**__**Press it…**_


	54. Chapter 54: The Vote

**A/N: Hey y'all! Just saw New Moon and it really got my wheels turning for this chapter! I guess it was just because I actually **_**saw**_** what happens here. Anyways, I'm thinking the next chapter **_**may**_** be a sort of filler, in between the two books, but more than likely I'm going to have perhaps a paragraph or two describing the in between before jumping right on into Eclipse (YAY!). **

**So I hope you like this chapter. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 54: The Vote_

It was sometime in the late night or early morning, depending on your perspective. I was in my office, doing paperwork as usual. I had to resign from the hospital in Ithaca, as well as sell the house and arrange for our most important property to be moved back here. Most of it would be sold. We weren't going to keep the house there and we already had furnishings here. And of course, all that took an amazing amount of paperwork, whether it was on my computer or by hand. I don't think I could've imagined doing all of this as a human, with normal human speed and an imperfect memory. It would've been torturous. I sighed and shifted in my chair when I smelled it. Or rather, her. Bella was here. Her scent was unmistakable, and what other human would come to our house with Edward in the middle of the night?

"Carlisle? Esme? Rosalie? Emmett? Jasper? Alice?" Edward called softly.

I was downstairs with them in a moment, the first to respond. Bella still looked tired, but she had a determined look on her face. Edward, on the other hand, looked resigned. But resigned to what?

"Welcome back, Bella," I greeted her. "What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not a purely social visit?"

Bella nodded. "I'd like to talk to everyone at once, if that's okay. About something important." She glanced over at Edward and I followed her gaze. What's this about, Edward? I asked silently. Is everything alright?

Edward gave a barely perceptible shake of his head. I doubted Bella noticed it at all, even though she was looking right at him.

"Of course," I told her. "Why don't we talk in the other room?" I turned and led the two of them through the living room and to the dining room. The rest of the family had arrived and followed just behind them. The dining room was, after all, where we had our most important meetings. And if Edward didn't think everything was alright, then we had best take what Bella had to say seriously. I held out my usual chair to her. Edward took the seat to her left and I sat down across from him. The rest of the family took seats around the table. Esme was seated next to me and she rested a hand on my knee under the table. I slipped my hand down and took hers gently.

Once everyone was present and seated, I nodded to Bella. "The floor is yours."

Bella swallowed hard, looking around the table. I imagine for her, it could be intimidating. This was a formal setting. Perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to bring her in here just yet.

"Well," she said. "I'm hoping Alice has already told you everything that happened in Volterra?"

"Everything," Alice reassured her from her spot down the table.

"And on the way?" Bella asked.

"That, too," Alice confirmed.

"Good. Then we're all on the same page."

She paused, seemingly trying to gather herself. I waited patiently for her to continue. The conversation we'd had only a few hours ago was already at the forefront of my mind. It had been a very tense, but necessary conversation. The whole family had needed to know exactly what was going on, despite Edward's reassurance that nothing would happen.

"So, I have a problem," Bella began again. "Alice promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going to send someone to check, and I'm sure that's a bad thing—something to avoid."

Yes that was a very bad thing. The fact that we were the second largest coven of vampires, after the Volturi themselves, already set them on edge. And then there was our diet, which they didn't understand, and Edward, Alice, and Jasper's gifts. Not to mention the whole confrontation between Edward, Bella, Alice, and the Volturi just the day before. We were already walking on thin ice when it came to the Volturi. They were not ones to show mercy or make empty threats. The last thing we wanted, when tensions were so high between us, was them coming to Forks.

"And so, now, this involves you all. I'm sorry about that." Bella looked around the table. She met my eyes for only a brief second and in that second I tried to convey reassurance and confidence to her. She continued after looking away from Edward. "But, if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not."

Esme tried to say something, but Bella stopped her. I squeezed her hand gently under the table.

"Please, let me finish," Bella said. "You all know what I want. And I'm sure you know what Edward thinks, too. I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to have a vote. If you decide you don't want me, then…I guess I'll go back to Italy alone. I can't have them coming here."

Edward growled from his seat across from me. I could tell the others echoed his sentiments. I personally didn't want Bella returning to Italy any more than he did. Bella was trying to be brave and trying to protect us, even though she was the weakest of all of us, physically at least. She could die, easily. I knew just how simple it was for a human's heart to stop beating. There were so many different things that could go wrong, without outside forces acting on it.

Bella continued though, despite Edward's rebuff. "Taking into account, then, that I won't put any of you in danger either way, I want you to vote yes or no on the issue of me becoming a vampire."

Bella's lips turned up in a small smile as she gestured for my opinion.

"Just a minute," Edward cut in. "I have something to add before we vote." Bella sighed and glared at him.

"About the danger Bella's referring to, I don't think we need to be overly anxious." Edward set his hand on the table, leaning forward as if he were going to jump out of his seat. "You see, there was more than one reason why I didn't want to shake Aro's hand there at the end. There's something they didn't think of, and I didn't want to clue them in." He was grinning now and I honestly couldn't understand why? I didn't know what he was referring to, but I waited for him to continue.

"Which was?" Alice asked.

"The Volturi are overconfident, and with good reason. When they decide to find someone, it's not really a problem. Do you remember Demetri?" he asked Bella.

She shuddered a bit in her chair.

"He finds people—that's his talent, why they keep him.

"Now, the whole time we were with any of them, I was picking their brains for anything that might save us, getting as much information as possible. So I saw how Demetri's talent works. He's a tracker—a tracker a thousand times more gifted than James was. His ability is loosely related to what I do, or what Aro does. He catches the…flavor? I don't know how to describe it…the tenor…of someone's mind, and then he follows that. It works over immense distances.

"But after Aro's experiments, well…" He shrugged.

"You think he won't be able to find me," Bella finished.

"I'm sure of it. He relies totally on that other sense. When it doesn't work with you, they'll all be blind."

An interesting theory. Bella seemed to be immune to most other types of mental gifts, such as Edward and Aro's mind reading or even Jane's…gift. It was certainly an interesting proposition. I wouldn't be surprised if it worked too.

"And how does that solve anything?" Bella demanded.

"Quite obviously, Alice will be able to tell when they're planning a visit, and I'll hide you. They'll be helpless. It will be like looking for a piece of straw in a haystack," he said triumphantly.

Emmett smirked at him. My strongest always enjoyed a fight, for any reason. It didn't actually matter to Emmett that there was just cause for a fight, only that he got to be a part of it.

"But they can find you," Bella protested.

"And I can take care of myself," Edward replied smoothly.

Emmett laughed loudly and reached his fist across the table. "Excellent plan, my brother," he complimented.

Edward grinned and returned the gesture.

"No," Rosalie hissed.

"Absolutely not," Bella seconded.

"Nice," Jasper said. Obviously he appreciated the strategy as Emmett did.

"Idiots," Alice muttered from her spot next to Jasper.

My Esme actually glared at her son for even thinking of such a dangerous plan.

I personally didn't like it. It was too risky, and too confrontational. The Volturi were a formidable presence, and not one you wanted to have as your enemy, even if you had twice as many members as they did. They were cunning and ruthless when it came to those who broke the law. And since they technically were the law, going against their orders and not changing Bella would be a direct violation. They wouldn't hesitate to kill us all. And although I was confident my family wasn't weak, we weren't strong enough to fight the Volturi and come out with no losses, if we came out at all.

"All right, then," Bella called, bringing everyone back to attention. "Edward has offered an alternative for you to consider. Let's vote."

She looked over at Edward now. His answer would probably be the most obvious, next to Alice's. "Do you want me to join your family?"

"Not that way," he replied. "You're staying human."

Bella nodded once and moved on. "Alice?"

"Yes," she trilled.

"Jasper?"

"Yes," he replied, seriously. I was actually surprised at Jasper's reply. I thought he might've been one of those against Bella's transformation, since he had been for killing Bella before.

"Rosalie?"

Rosalie didn't answer right away, instead biting down on her lip. I recognized that expression. It had become familiar the last couple days, after Rosalie's mistake with Edward."No."

Bella accepted her opinion and turned to move on to Emmett, but Rosalie stopped her.

"Let me explain. I don't mean that I have any aversion to you as a sister. It's just that…this is not the life I would have chosen for myself. I wish there had been someone there to vote no for me."

I suppressed a wince. I knew Rosalie didn't want to be a vampire. I knew that, out of all of us, she was the most resentful of this life. And I knew that a part of her was still resentful at me, for choosing to give her this life.

Bella simply nodded, though, and moved on to Emmett.

"Hell, yes!" he exclaimed. "We can find some other way to pick a fight with Demetri."

Bella frowned as she looked to Esme next.

"Yes," my angel replied. "Of course, Bella. I already think of you as part of my family."

"Thank you, Esme," Bella replied. She finally turned towards me.

I torn. I knew that Edward didn't want this for Bella. I knew he thought he would be ripping her soul apart and damning her for eternity. But I also knew that logically, this was the proper path to take. With Bella changed, it would solve so many of our future issues. We wouldn't have to worry about when we moved again because we could just take Bella with us. She and Edward could always be together, as they wanted, and we wouldn't have to worry about the Volturi because we would be obeying their orders.

I turned to Edward, giving him an apologetic look. "Edward."

"No," Edward growled back at me. He was grimacing.

"It's the only way that makes sense," I tried to explain to him. "You've chosen not to live without her, and that doesn't leave me a choice."

Edward got up suddenly and left the room, growling lowly.

"I guess you know my vote," I sighed, looking over at Bella.

She was still watching the doorway Edward had just disappeared through. "Thanks," she replied.

There was a crash from Edward's direction. I wasn't sure what he had broken, but I had a feeling Esme and I wouldn't like it.

Bella flinched. "That's all I needed. Thank you. For wanting to keep me. I feel exactly the same way about all of you, too."

Esme moved to Bella's side, pulling her into a hug.

"Dearest Bella," she whispered. Bella wrapped her arms around her, returning the hug, before releasing her.

"Well, Alice. Where do you want to do this?"

Alice's eyes grew to caramel orbs at Bella's question.

"No! No! NO!" Edward roared, rushing back into the room. He stopped in front of Bella, his face only inches from hers, though he was still yelling. "Are you insane? Have you utterly lost your mind?"

Bella cringed, clapping her palms over her ears.

"Um, Bella," Alice said anxiously. "I don't think I'm ready for that. I'll need to prepare…"

"You promised," Bella insisted, meeting her gaze around Edward.

"I know, but…Seriously, Bella! I don't have any idea how to not kill you."

"You can do it," Bella assured her. "I trust you."

Edward growled, furious.

But Alice shook her head, the panic written all over her face.

"Carlisle?" Bella asked, turning to face me. But Edward physically grabbed her face and turned it back to him. His other hand he held up to me, as if he were going to ward me off.

I ignored it, answering Bella truthfully. "I'm able to do it," I replied. "You would be in no danger of my losing control." I wasn't so sure it was a good idea to do it tonight, but I would, if we agreed to.

"Sounds good," she said, her words slightly distorted because Edward was still holding her chin firmly in his hand.

"Hold on," Edward insisted. "It doesn't have to be now."

"There's no reason for it not to be now," Bella replied.

"I can think of a few."

"Of course you can," Bella shot back. "Now let go of me."

Edward removed his hand from her chin and lowered his other hand that had been outstretched towards me. He folded them across his chest defiantly. "In about two hours, Charlie will be here looking for you. I wouldn't put it past him to involve the police."

"All three of them," Bella said sarcastically. But her expression fell.

Edward looked to me. "In the interest of remaining inconspicuous, I suggest that we put this conversation off, at the very least until Bella finishes high school, and moves out of Charlie's house."

I was thankful that Edward was finally thinking rationally. "That's a reasonable request, Bella," I advised her.

Bella's lips tightened. "I'll consider it."

Edward visibly relaxed, his expression becoming softer.

"I should probably take you home," he said. "Just in case Charlie wakes up early."

Bella looked back to me. "After graduation?" she asked.

"You have my word," I assured her. That was a more reasonable request. After graduation, Bella could move out, give Charlie some closure before she had to completely sever ties with him. And there would be a good excuse for it too. She'd be moving on to "college".

Bella sighed and smiled before turning back to Edward. "Okay. You can take me home," she conceded.

Edward was sure to leave quickly, taking Bella home before anyone else could say anything more.

I left the dining room to rejoin the others in the living room. They were scattered on the chairs and couches around the room, the TV playing but none of them really watching. I joined Esme on the loveseat, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her closer to my chest. She laid her head on my shoulder with a sigh. "I'm glad Bella is going to be part of the family," she whispered, probably too low for the others to hear. But it wasn't a problem for me, with her so close.

I nodded agreement. "It's the right thing to do, I think. It's obvious the two of them can't live without each other. And Bella's right. She can't stay human with the Volturi coming to check on her. Maybe for a few years, she could, but not for longer than that. And I think Aro would be particularly keen on following up with her, because of what she can do, or rather, what he can't do to her."

Esme nodded. "You made the right decision. And waiting until after her graduation will give us as well as her, time to prepare."

And Edward time to get used to the idea, I added silently. With Edward driving Bella home, my thoughts were my own.

"I think I might try to give her some sort of painkiller," I commented. "Perhaps it will help. I've never actually planned this before. You, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett were all split second decisions."

"Do you think it will help?" Esme asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I'll have to run some tests."

Esme flinched. "Please don't hurt yourself," she pleaded.

"I'll be careful," I assured her, placing a light kiss on her hair and taking a deep breath. Even after so many years, I was never bored of her cinnamon sugar smell. I loved her even more than I had the day I married her back in 1921. I didn't regret changing her one moment. She was the reason for my entire existence. I knew I could not live without her any more than Edward could live without Bella. And I also knew that one day, Edward would be thankful that we changed Bella. Maybe not the day it happened, whether it was after graduation or even later than that, but some day, he would.

**A/N2: And just a friendly reminder, there's a new poll on my site, asking you guys which of my stories you like best. You can vote for up to two. Tell me what you think!**

**Also the "Outtakes" are under way and the firs should be up next weekend or so. I have a feeling it's going to be a lot better.**

**Thanks for reading and REVIEW! Please?**

**-Wish**


	55. Chapter 55: Return

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. I'm thinking one where Carlisle and Emmett are testing the morphine and venom and then we'll get into Graduation. Yay Eclipse! I can't wait! Sorry this is a fairly short chapter, but I wanted to get it up and I needed Edward and Carlisle to have at least part of the conversation on Bella's changing. Don't worry, it'll come up again. Edward doesn't let things go so easily, especially something like this.**

**Also, just so you know, I'll be on holiday from the 24****th**** through the 31****st****. I'll be taking my laptop, but I don't know what the Internet will be like there. I'm going to try to post something on December 24****th****, the 1 year anniversary of Rising Sun, but I don't know since that's the day I'm going to be on a plane. If I post, it'll be in the morning.**

**So for now, please enjoy the chapter!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 55: Return_

I was preparing for my first shift back at the hospital when Edward came home again. To say he wasn't happy would be an understatement. Although Edward was usually able to keep his emotions from showing, I had known him for almost 100 years. I knew every micro-emotion of his face. And I could tell that, although his face was carefully blank, he was angry.

"Carlisle, do you have a moment to talk in private?" he asked me simply, catching me in the hallway outside Esme and my room.

I knew this conversation was going to have to happen sooner rather than later. Edward wouldn't have had it with Bella around, but now that she was, I assumed, home, all his reservations were gone. I nodded. We can't be long, unfortunately, I told him silently. I have to be at the hospital in half an hour.

"We won't be," he said. The two of us walked into my office and Edward closed the door behind him. He paused, still facing the door, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "Carlisle," he said finally, turning around. "How could you do this to me?"

I didn't need to ask him what he meant. I knew the context of the question already. "You heard my reasoning, Edward," I replied. "I have thought about this very carefully, for a while now. You must admit it's been on everyone's mind at least once in the last year."

"But how could you agree to this. You don't want to hurt people, yet you would volunteer to rip away a young girl's soul?" I could hear the anguish in Edward's voice and see it in his eyes.

"That's not true, Edward," I insisted.

"After all you've seen of our kind, you cannot honestly believe that we have souls. You've seen what we do. Our most basic nature is to kill."

I sighed. We'd had this discussion multiple times and each time, it had ended at odds. Part of me agreed with Edward. Everything I'd ever learned about vampires before I was changed told me that they were evil, Devil-spawn, a manifestation of man's greed. We were damned, no matter what we did. That was Edward's perspective and for the longest time, it had been mine as well. But something changed that. It was Edward, actually. Seeing him, the goodness in him, I couldn't believe all that awaited him was Hell. I couldn't believe that someone so good, so kind and generous and self-giving, could not have a soul.

"Yes," I conceded. "I have seen a lot. And some of it has been terrible. But in my over 300 years, I have also seen so much that suggests otherwise. Edward, I do not believe we are as condemned as you think."

"How?" Edward insisted. "How could you believe that?"

"I first saw it in you. Edward, you are always telling Bella she doesn't see herself clearly, but neither do you. You are not the monster that you believe yourself to be. Yes, it is in our nature to murder. It is also natural for a human to be greedy, but I know and have known many entirely self-sacrificing people in my lifetime. Just because something is natural, doesn't mean we have to follow it."

Edward still looked distressed. But I was running out of time. As it was, I would have to speed the entire way to the hospital to make it in time for my shift. Edward must've heard this in my thoughts because he stepped out of the way of the door.

"Go, Carlisle," he told me.

I hesitated. I could still see the conflict in my eldest, yet youngest, son. I can stay, if you needed me to.

"I need to think," he replied.

I nodded and grabbed my bag before leaving him in my office. I hoped that, possibly, what I had told him had an impact on his decision. If anything, I hoped it would help alleviate some of his anxiety about Bella's changing. It wouldn't be easy for Edward, I knew that much. The change was excruciatingly painful. One could never accurately understand until they had felt it. Bella had gotten just a small taste of a vampire's venom when James had bit her, last spring. But she had no idea, truly.

I'll have to find some way to help, I thought as I climbed into my Mercedes. It was raining, of course, but I welcomed it. In Ithaca, it had been overcast, but hadn't necessarily rained like it did in Forks. Mostly, it had been snow throughout the winter. The rain felt like I was really home again. I was really back.

Maybe I could try the morphine. If it was already in her system before hand, could it possibly help with the pain? At least alleviate it? Anything I could do for Bella would be an improvement. And it would help Edward, with Bella. If Edward knew that she was in less pain, then perhaps the transformation itself would be less stressful on him.

I'd have to test it though. It was entirely possible that venom would not be affected by human drugs. I didn't know enough about vampire venom to be certain. I would have to run some tests, perhaps on myself. I could give myself a dose, in the arm maybe, and bite myself. Esme had warned me not to hurt myself, but this would be for Bella. And it would be, at most, just a little pain. I could handle it.

I had never had to premeditate a transformation before now. All the others had been spur –of-the-moment decisions. I would have time to prepare myself this time. I doubted I would lose control. I hadn't lost control once in my almost four hundred years. But this time I could make sure I hunted beforehand, just to be 100% sure. It would help too, making the actual process of pulling away less painful. If I was already fed, then any blood I might taste wouldn't really be needed.

As I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I had to force my mind to the momentary tasks at hand. I still had time before Bella graduated. I could think of this later, at home. Now, I was at work and I needed to devote my attention to the here and now.

I stepped inside and it felt like I was returning home all over again. It seemed like nothing had changed. The same secretary sat behind the desk, the same nurses, the same orderlies. I saw maybe one or two new faces, but on the whole, it seemed like Forks Community Hospital had changed even less than I did.

"Dr. Cullen!" I turned and found Brett walking in wearing his ambulance EMT uniform. He didn't seem to be on duty just yet, as he was fairly casual and carried no bag or radio.

"Brett," I greeted, nodding.

"I heard a rumor that you were coming back, but I didn't believe it! I told them, if I got a job in LA, I wouldn't be coming back to grungy old Forks."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Esme didn't like the city. She prefers it here, in a small town." That was the background story our family had come up with for our sudden move back to Forks. It was the best we could come up with at the moment.

"Well it's a good thing she does," Brett replied. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Brett," I told him. "If you'll excuse me, I'm due to go on duty soon."

"Of course, I am too," he replied. I nodded once and left Brett to make his way to his post with the ambulance. I, on the other hand, made my way to Dr. Gerandy's office. I was to check in there first.

Dr. Gerandy was working on paper work in his office. The scene was reminiscent of the last time I had been there, to hand in my resignation. "Enter," he called as I knocked. He looked up as I stepped inside and closed the office door behind me.

"It's good to have you back, Carlisle," he said.

"Thank you," I replied. "Thank you for taking me back. I realize that it is probably a huge inconvenience to you and the rest of the staff."

"Are you kidding? You're one of the best doctors we've had here. Forks Community is lucky to have you, not inconvenienced in the least. Though I am curious, did it not work out with the job in Los Angeles?"

I shook my head. "We didn't move back for any problem with the hospital. My family simply prefers the small-town life as compared to the city."

Dr. Gerandy nodded. "Well if you don't have any questions, the secretary has your patients list. And I've taken the liberty of scheduling you for a heart surgery next week."

I nodded. "Thank you."

Dr. Gerandy looked surprised but he nodded with a "You're welcome," and let me go. I headed for the locker room to exchange my outer jacket for my lab coat. I clipped on my ID tag, which was surprisingly the same from the last time I worked in Forks, and checked with the secretary for my rounds list. Checking the first name and room number, I made my way down the familiar hall. As I entered, I smiled at the little boy lying in the bed as he watched cartoons on the TV hanging in the corner. He looked over at me, slightly confused and curious as I checked the chart at the foot of his bed. He was ten and he'd been in for appendicitis. The procedure had been performed two days before.

"Hello Zach," I greeted him. "What are you watching?" I asked, gesturing to the TV.

"Cartoon Network," Zach replied. "Ed, Edd, n' Eddie."

I nodded, not familiar with the show myself. "Well, my name is Dr. Cullen. I'm going to be taking care of you until you can go home," I told him.

Zach looked uncertain, but he nodded. "Hi, Dr. Cullen," he said.

"How are you feeling today, Zach," I asked.

"Okay."

"It says here that you got your appendix removed."

To my surprise, the boy grinned. "Yeah. I've got it in a jar. Wanna see?" He pointed over to the table where I saw the swollen, infected organ floating in fluid. I walked over to the table and picked up the jar, pretending to really examine the appendix as enthusiastically as Zach was.

"Well I must say, that is a very big appendix."

"The other doctor said it was about ready to burst," Zach added.

"I believe him," I replied, setting the jar back on the table. "Do you mind if I check the stitches?"

"Sure," Zach said. He leaned over and let me look at the neat row of stitches from where the incision had been made. They seemed to be healing well. I couldn't smell any sign of infection. They would be ready to come out soon.

"Thank you, Zach," I said. "Those look good."

"Are they going to leave a scar?" Zach asked his eyes bright. "Jim says they leave a scar."

I chuckled. "I think they just might," I told him. "But you have to promise me you're not going to touch them or anything. Let them heal and they'll turn into a scar. Can you do that for me?"

Zach nodded. "Sure, Dr. Cullen."

"Good. I'll check in on you again later, okay?"

"Alright," Zach replied, turning back to the TV.

"Enjoy your show," I offered before leaving. I couldn't help but smile when I closed the door. It felt right, interacting with patients, helping them. At times I enjoyed tending children. They had an innocence that was unmatched in adults. With cases like Zach's, where more than likely they would go home in a few days, it was refreshing. But in other times, like with Joanie the last time I had been working at the hospital, it had been sad. Because I knew that, although Joanie would be alright physically, her life would forever be changed after that day.

As I walked down the hall to my next patient, I found my thoughts drifting to Joanie. What had become of her? I never learned if her mother survived or not. I never learned if she was an orphan, or now the child of a single parent. I had left before it had all been sorted through. I considered checking for the files in the hospital's system. But that might raise questions. So I decided against it as I entered my next patient's room. The sixty-four year old woman with the broken left hip looked up at me from her book. I checked my list.

"Good morning, Mrs. Gregory, I'm Dr. Cullen. I'll be taking care of you from now on."

**A/N2: Hello! So what do you think? What were your thoughts on Carlisle and Edward's talk? And how about his return to the hospital and his interaction with Zach? Did I get Carlisle right? It's been a little while since I've written for Rising Sun. Please REVIEW and tell me what you think!**

**-Wish**

**P.S. FYI, my poll is still open and I've added two or three (I forget which) of my new stories. Also, the first Chapter of Rising Sun Outtakes is up. It's a re-vamp (no pun intended) of Chapter 1 of this story. So click on over and check it out!**

**P.S.S. FYI2, as a thanks to all you amazing readers, I've also written a One-Shot called "I'm Already There" for the holidays. It's my first All-Human story! Please tell me what you think of it! Thanks!**


	56. Chapter 56: Venom and Morphine

**A/N: Yay! It's the 1 year anniversary of Rising Sun! I can't believe I've been writing this for a whole year now!**

**This is a chapter that is leading into Eclipse. There were a few things I needed to address before we started with graduation, so here they are. Some experimenting, and then to wrap it up a little Carlisle/Esme fluff, because who doesn't like that?**

**Thanks to all my faithful readers (and) reviewers who have really encouraged me to keep going this past year, through finals and classes, finishing high school and starting college! Like I said before, youda youda best! Love y'all!**

**Without further ado, Enjoy!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 56: Venom and Morphine_

I grimaced as I fought to keep my arm steady on the desk in front of me as the venom burned through my long dry veins. I could smell the morphine, but it didn't seem to be doing anything against the pain. It was still excruciating, just as it had felt over 300 years ago.

I gritted my teeth and waited for it to burn out. In a vampire's body, venom had nothing to burn. It didn't last long.

"Carlisle, you okay?" Emmett asked. He looked guilty as he sat on the chair across my desk from me. We'd cleaned it off as much as possible, leaving it almost entirely bare with the exception of a small couple doses of morphine, the strongest steel syringe I could get from the hospital, and my arm, clenched in a fist against the pain.

"Yes, Emmett," I grunted as the venom burned out.

"It's not working, is it?" he asked. Emmett had volunteered when I told the family I would be testing morphine in dealing with the pain from our venom. Esme hadn't wanted me to do these tests, though she knew they were important for Bella. She didn't like seeing me in pain any more than I could stand seeing _her_ in pain. That was why we were doing these tests while she was out hunting with Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie. Edward was with Bella, as he had been almost nonstop since returning from Italy. He was ever trying to convince Bella to reconsider her decision to have me change her after graduation, but as far as I could tell, he was making little headway. At least, I had gotten no word from Bella that she was reconsidering. As far as I knew, Bella expected me to bite her just after she graduated, whether Edward approved or not. That was why I was doing this. That was why I was pumping my body full of morphine and having Emmett bite me.

"It's the morphine," I told him. "It's not spreading fast enough."

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, I could feel the venom burning right past it." At first, I'd tested only on myself, Emmett supplying his venom, since mine wouldn't do anything to me. But after a few tries, Emmett had insisted I try it on him, saying I shouldn't be doing this all on my own. So I had injected him, reluctantly biting him and pumping my venom into his own arm. But Emmett's results seemed the same as mine. The morphine was too slow, too sluggish compared to vampire venom. Morphine moved like molasses through our veins, while the venom burned on ahead of it, sealing off the veins. I suspected it was because we had no heartbeat. There was nothing really to push the morphine down our veins.

Would it be different with Bella? I wondered. After all, she'd have a heart to pump the morphine through her veins, having the possibility of spreading it before the venom sealed her off.

I was about to test Emmett again when there was a knock on the door. I set the needle down and said, "Come in." I was surprised to see Edward in the doorway.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he said.

"Not at all," I told him. "Come in." Edward stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. "Is there something you need?"

Edward looked rather humble. "I just, wanted to see how it's going," he replied. "I mean, do you think the morphine will work?"

I sat back, sighing. "The major problem thus far has been that the venom burns past the morphine before it can circulate. We're not the best test subjects for that, since we technically have no circulation."

Edward nodded, taking a seat next to Emmett. "So you don't know if it will make a difference."

"I don't know, but I think it may," I replied. "Bella has a heartbeat. So her body will spread the painkiller much faster than any of ours would. I think, it's possible, that if we get the morphine in her system before hand, it could help. But the morphine must be in her already and it must be circulated.

Edward nodded again. He seemed fairly distant, more than likely thinking about Bella. It was evening and he was here. So that meant Charlie was home and Bella wasn't up in her room yet. It was one of the brief times I saw my son anymore. Typically it was these couple of hours until Bella retired for bed and a half hour or so in the morning in which he changed clothes and grabbed his car to pick Bella up for school.

"I'm sorry I have been so absent, Carlisle," Edward apologized softly in reply to my thoughts.

It's fine, Edward, I replied purposefully. You love her. That is all that matters. I would only see you happy.

"I am."

I nodded and we set back to work, Edward joining us this time. He had a medical degree of his own from one circuit of college where he had considered following in my footsteps. Although he didn't have years and years of expertise, it was still nice to have someone I could talk medical terms to. Edward and I talked about the morphine and its pain relief, its side effects (which Bella probably wouldn't notice in the middle of the transformation but could still be important), how quickly it would wear off, and how we might administer more to her if necessary. Edward talked about some of his own ideas, in particular, one that might help speed up the transformation process. Although he was adamantly against Bella's transformation, he still didn't want her to suffer if she really went through with this after graduation.

"You inject the venom into the veins so that it circulates back to the heart faster. But what if you injected venom directly into the heart?"

I paused in cleaning up the empty morphine bottles. Emmett had left and Edward and I were sitting in my office after one round of tests. We hadn't gotten much further on the morphine testing. It continued to be too sluggish. And I couldn't risk testing it on a human. That was unthinkable. We'd just have to hope it worked.

"I never thought of that," I replied, sitting back. It was an interesting idea. Really it was our venom that caused the transformation. Biting was just an easy way of transferring that venom into the victim. But maybe it wasn't necessary.

"Since we're planning this, we would have time to collect some venom ahead of time," I commented. "We could put it in a needle and inject it directly into the heart. It might speed up the transformation. I can't be sure; I've never done it before."

Edward nodded. "Well you've never planned ahead of time to take away a perfectly healthy person's life."

I winced at Edward's words. They cut into me, stabbing through my unbeating heart better than any weapon could.

Edward sighed. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "That was rude. I know you're doing this for Bella and me because you think this will help."

"Edward, it's the only way," I told him.

Edward opened his mouth to speak again but I stopped him. "Now is not the time to have this discussion again. I have a night shift tonight and Bella will be going to bed soon."

Edward spun and looked at the clock on my desk. He said something under his breath that I wasn't meant to catch and dashed off. I closed up my bag and was about to open the door to leave when it opened again. Edward's head appeared in the doorway.

"I'm really am sorry, Carlisle. And despite my objections, I am grateful you are putting so much time and effort into helping Bella."

"You know better than anyone how I feel about Bella, Edward," I replied.

He nodded, looking down. "I know."

I sighed and stepped towards my son, opening the door and pulling him into a hug. It seemed like I was doing this more often now. "Go," I urged him softly. "Bella is waiting."

He pulled back and gave me another grateful look and thanks before leaving.

I went back to my desk and finished cleaning up. Glancing at the clock, I noticed that I had a little bit of time before I would have to start getting ready. I decided to look at the new journal from the American Medical Association. I had put it away, amongst other things, when we started testing earlier that day and just took it out again now. But as I was about to open it, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," I called, setting the journal down again.

The door opened and Esme looked inside. "Are you busy?" she asked.

"For you, never," I replied, smiling. She returned my smile and stepped inside, closing the door. I watched her as she gracefully strolled across the study to my side. I took her waist and pulled her into my lap, leaning her against my chest. I took a deep breath of her sweet scent, ridding my nose of the pungent smell of the morphine, because of its opioid base.

"How is it going?" she asked after a moment.

I sighed, kissing her neck and laying my forehead lightly against her shoulder. "It's difficult. The venom burns past the morphine too fast. Maybe if Bella already had it in her system, then it could work, but we have to be careful about overdosing and I'd rather not give it to her too early. She wouldn't need it."

Esme looked down at me. "Do you think it will help Bella with the pain?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly, shaking my head. "And I can't know for sure unless we tried it on a human. But that's out of the question. We'll just have to hope that it does work."

Esme looked a little hesitant.

"What's wrong, angel?" I asked her, reading the expression on her beautiful face.

Esme shook her head. "It's nothing. Edward is helping you now?"

I nodded. "Yes. He has a novel suggestion for the transformation itself. Injecting the venom directly into the heart through a needle, in hopes that it might speed up the transformation."

"Would it work?" Esme asked, interested.

"Again I don't know. I've never planned one of these before. I honestly don't know _what_ to expect, despite changing you, Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie."

"What do you mean?"

I paused, trying to choose my words so that they best expressed my uncertainty. "I'm curious as to how this pre-meditated transformation might affect Bella's outcome, psychologically. She's known about us and our diet for almost a full year now. She doesn't really know any other way of life, for our kind, that is. I'm interested to see if this affects her newborn bloodlust, if she has a difficult time because she expects it, or if she has an easier time controlling her bloodlust because this was all she's ever known of us."

Esme looked thoughtful. "I've never thought of that," she admitted. "I agree; it is an intriguing thought. What do you think?"

"I can't be sure," I replied. "I'd like to say that it will be easier for her. But I can't see how it could be. Being a human, she's never truly experienced the bloodlust. She's heard about it, but I imagine it's like hearing about the taste of a food, and then actually tasting it on your tongue. Something is lost in the translation. Some crucial part."

"You think she will have a harder time?"

I shook my head. "No. I think, her prior knowledge of our diet will help her, but it will still be hard. We'll have to move after a little while. But we'll have to be vigilant, especially before we do."

"Surely we can help her," Esme insisted.

I nodded. "We can. But it's been so long since we've had a newborn. Even since Alice and Jasper joined us."

"I already think of her as part of the family," Esme commented.

"So do I, Esme."

"But it will be nice to make it official," she said, almost absentmindedly.

"That may not be for a while yet," I warned her.

"Yes, I know," she chuckled. "Bella has such a fear of marriage, the poor thing."

I smiled, kissing her again. "Well who could blame her?" I teased. "Being forever tied down? It's a scary concept."

Esme playfully slapped me on the shoulder. "Carlisle Cullen! If I didn't know better I would be insulted!"

I laughed. "I'm sorry. I meant to say, 'Being forever tied down to the love of your life is an amazing concept'."

"That's what I thought," she retorted, giving me a light peck on the cheek. It wasn't enough and I pulled her back, kissing her passionately. Esme returned my kiss and we remained locked in each other's arms until she finally pulled away. For me it was too soon.

"You should begin to get ready for your shift," she whispered in my ear.

I groaned at the thought of leaving my beautiful, angelic wife.

"I'll still be here," she reassured me. I could feel the soft wisp of her breath against my ear and it sent shivers down my spine.

"Promise?" I asked. "Promise you won't elope in my absence?"

"Never," she whispered. "I'll even have a surprise for you."

My mind flickered to the other past surprises of Esme. The images would've earned a groan from Edward. But he wasn't within range to hear them so I was free with my thoughts.

"I'll hurry back," I promised, giving her one last kiss on her smooth, perfect lips before she got up and I forced myself to go get changed for my shift. But my thoughts kept flitting back to Esme and what surprise she might have in store for me when I returned.

**A/N2: Okay, so here is another Author's note. Just some friendly reminders, PUSH THE BUTTON!**

**I'll be on holiday for a week from tomorrow, without a CPU (my parents' idea, not mine) so no updates for at least that long.**

**Also I've posted a Christmas One-Shot Songfic for all you readers. It's a Carlisle/Esme and guess what, it's my first All-Human fic! So please go check it out! It's only gotten like, four reviews and I'm kinda bummed. From the reviews, people have liked it.**

**And I still have the poll for which is your favorite story on my site. Remember, you can vote for up to 2.**

**And last, but not least, I'm now on TWITTER! I'll post a website link on my site, but if you want to follow me then look for WishingOnMyStar. I'll be posting updates as to when chapters will be updated, as well as random stuff about my life. So if that sounds like your cup of tea, come check me out!**

**-Wish**


	57. Chapter 57: Headlines

**A/N: I just want to say right off the bat, I'm not really happy with this chapter. Not by a long shot. But you guys have been such faithful readers and have been asking for an update and I feel so bad about leaving you hanging.**

**So here's the next chapter. I feel it's kind of forced, but it get's the point of the moment across. I hope that I might be able to put out a better version with Chapter 58.**

**For now, here it is.**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 57: Headlines_

**DEATH TOLL ON THE RISE, POLICE FEAR GANG ACTIVITY**

I sighed as I set the newspaper on the dining room table. This was now the fifth headline in the past few weeks of some sort of unexplained disappearance and murder in Seattle. It was getting out of hand now.

"Another one?" Esme asked, picking up the paper to read the article below the offending headline.

"They're becoming more frequent," Jasper commented, leaning back in his chair down the table from Esme.

"It's definitely a newborn doing this," Alice added from her seat next to Jasper. "I can't get a clear vision of their future. They keep changing their mind too quickly."

"What are we going to do about it?" Rosalie asked, looking past Emmett and Edward to me, at the head of the table.

"Obviously nobody has taken responsibility for the newborn," I said. "Otherwise this wouldn't be happening at the out of control pace it is. But I don't see what we can do about it. Our family can't take on another newborn. Not with Bella and not here. The town is too small.

"But we also can't afford to ignore this problem. If it continues, we may have to step in, merely to keep the Volturi away."

Edward hissed lowly from his seat adjacent to me. "We can't let them come to Forks," he said.

"I wasn't intending to give them any reason to. If the newborn doesn't settle down or move on, then we'll handle it, before it draws their attention. Agreed?"

There were scattered nods and yeses from my family around the dining room table. Emmett looked disappointed that we weren't doing something sooner, but he knew that this was the best course of action. Jasper already looked thoughtful, most likely going over strategies for dealing with the conflict when it arose. Obviously he didn't think the newborn would leave Seattle any time soon.

"Alright, it's time to get ready for school," Esme said, gesturing for the teenagers to go.

Edward and Alice were really the only ones who went to high school anymore. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper had technically graduated last year and the story around town was that Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper went to college. But mainly they hung around the house, keeping Esme company. I had a fairly long shift today at the hospital, but I would be getting home by seven.

Edward and Alice left to change their clothes for the day. Jasper followed Alice, leaving Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, and I still in the dining room.

Emmett and Rosalie stood up and started to leave, but Emmett paused at the door, turning back towards the table. "You know, Carlisle, Rosie and I could go check it out," he offered. "We could just head over to Seattle, look around, maybe even have a quick talk with him."

I shook my head. "No, Emmett, I don't want to get this family involved if I don't have to."

"But—"

"Just give them time," I counseled. "More than likely, the newborn will move on in a few weeks or so."

"And if he doesn't?" Emmett asked.

"Like I said before, we'll handle it. But we'll handle it together, as a family, not one on one."

Emmett looked like he was about to argue again, but Esme stood up. "Emmett," she said softly. He looked to her, and then sighed before turning back to me.

"Alright, Carlisle," he said. "But when it goes down, count me in the hunting party."

I hoped the situation wouldn't come to need a hunting party. With any luck, the newborn would become disinterested and would move on before their random killings drew any more attention than it already did.

Still, I nodded and Emmett returned my gesture before finally leaving with Rosalie. Esme sat again, tiredness in her expression. Although vampires didn't need sleep and didn't get physically tired, it was still possible to be mentally and emotionally fatigued. At times, I found myself wishing I could sleep, just so I could finally rest my mind.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, concerned.

Esme looked up. She looked distracted. "Do you think it will come down to…that?"

I shook my head, "I couldn't say," I admitted. "I hope it doesn't, though."

Esme nodded in agreement.

I didn't want to have to confront the newborn, not because I was afraid it would hurt my family (though with an unpredictable newborn, that was a slight risk), but because this newborn was quite assuredly, alone. It was obvious by the headlines that this newborn had been abandoned by its creator. The newborn, whoever they were, didn't have anyone to tell them what was right, what was wrong, what was allowed and what was against the Volturi's laws. They most likely didn't even _know_ about the Volturi. I could understand the position they were in. If I hadn't been able to resist, that first night after my change, my fate would've been just as theirs is. Any other time, I would've been more than willing to help them. I would've explained everything, given them the chance to chose our alternate way of life I would've done with them exactly as I would've done with Alice and Jasper. If they wanted to follow our vegetarian lifestyle, I would've been all too happy to assist them, in any way I could.

But it wasn't any other time now. Edward has found Bella and for the moment, she's human. I couldn't risk bringing a newborn into the family, with Bella soon to be a newborn herself. The family couldn't handle two and we couldn't risk having Bella within a mile of the newborn. With her blood, she'd draw the newborn immediately. No, it was too dangerous. We couldn't take on another newborn with Bella.

There were only two other options. Meet the newborn, explain the laws of the Volturi, and make them move on, or confront the newborn, and kill them. If it came to the point where we had to step in, just to keep the Volturi from coming, I would try my hardest for the former. That was the best way of handling it. And at the rate the headlines were coming, a confrontation looked inevitable.


	58. Chapter 58: As It Should Be

**(I put this up yesterday, but I guess FF bugged out and didn't put it up. So let's try again!)**

**A/N: Yay! As promised, another chapter. Thank you for no death threats on the last Author's Note. This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it sets up the next one which will probably be pretty soon because I'm on a bit of a roll here. This is what happens when you do Relay for Life and stay up from 8 PM to 8 AM and then only get 4 hours of sleep before your roommate wakes you up as she REARRANGES HER SHOEBOX COLLECTION and totally wakes you up. Maybe I should pull an all-nighter more often if it leads to more chapters, eh?**

**Please pardon any grammar or spelling mistakes. I've ran spell-checker but haven't had the chance to really look closer. This chapter is a set up for the next with the wolves and Victoria (Eeep!). It's a little Carlisle/Esme fluff, a little family time, and a semi-profound conversation between Edward and Carlisle to wrap things up. Hope you like it!**

**-Wish**

**P.S. PLEASE REVIEW! (It's a mandatory P.S. by now.)**

_Chapter 58: As It Should Be_

I was home from work before Edward and Alice got home from school today. It was a side effect of working the night shift, and one I wasn't entirely sorry about. Esme met me at the door, smiling brightly.

"Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper went hunting. How was work?" she asked.

"Alright," I replied. "I had three surgeries this morning, all successful."

"That's good." She stood up on her toes and placed a small kiss on my lips. I was reminded of the many times she'd done the same such thing. This year was our eighty-fifth anniversary. It seemed like just yesterday that I'd held her hands up on the altar and promised to love her and cherish her for the rest of my life. Eighty-five years went by quickly when you had eternity. I couldn't imagine being constrained as humans are, to be lucky to have fifty, sixty years with the love of my life. To have eighty-five years was unheard of in human terms.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked gently, running her fingertips over my cheek. I couldn't help but smiled down at her concerned expression. My loving, caring, kind angel, perfect in every way.

"You," I replied, kissing her again, a little longer this time.

Esme chuckled lightly. "You men and your one-track minds," she teased.

"On the contrary," I insisted, "If I had a one-track mind, then I couldn't be thinking about what we're going to do for our anniversary this year."

I noticed immediately when Esme's smile fell slightly. "Let's just try to get through the next few months, first," she whispered back. I could see the worry in her eyes; it was ever more present these last few months. Graduation and Bella's subsequent planned transformation was a constant in _all_ of our minds. I knew Esme was excited for it, just as the rest of us were (even Edward, though he'd never admit it) to finally change Bella, to not have to worry about another vampire like James setting their sights on her blood. Although I already thought of Bella as my daughter and the others already considered her part of the family, changing her would make it final, official. And I _know_ that Edward would eventually get past what he considered to be a "tragic loss" and come to enjoy eternity with Bella. That was the _biggest_ reason I agreed to change her after graduation. Because I knew that it would mean eternal happiness for my son, at last.

The others came home all too soon. Esme and I were sure to make ourselves _presentable_ before they arrived home. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper returned just before Alice was dropped off by Edward.

"Hey Jazz," Alice said as she walked through the door and was immediately met by Jasper.

Jasper murmured something in her ear that I couldn't catch from where I was with Esme in the living room. Alice answered, equally quiet, before coming into the living room where the rest of us were.

"Edward is with Bella," she said, unnecessarily. Edward only ever spent time with Bella since we'd returned to Forks.

Alice sat down on the floor with Jasper, but there was something off about her manner. She still had the typical Alice liveliness, but there was some sort of undertone that I couldn't quite understand. But I was sure Jasper did, which was why he kept glancing to her in a worried manner.

"Edward needs you to check out Mike Newton's car tonight," Alice said to Rosalie.

Rosalie looked shocked, and then slightly disgusted. "_Why_?" she asked, her disdain evident.

"Newton's car isn't working properly and Edward offered to check it out for him. But you know Edward's not _that_ good a mechanic."

"True," Rosalie agreed. "What model?"

Alice shrugged. "Nothing fancy. You know _Newton_ wouldn't have a _911 Turbo_ or anything."

"I'll check it out just so the head case looks good," Rosalie replied.

"Thanks Rose," Alice said. "Oh, and I had a vision at lunch today."

The way she brought it up was almost nonchalant, like it was just an everyday conversation. But then again, in our house, visions and people's thoughts and emotions _were_ everyday occurrences.

"About what?" I asked because I knew Alice was waiting for it.

"Victoria."

The others stiffened. We all knew the female who'd been with James last year and who'd apparently sent Laurent after Bella while we were away, and even had been around just before Bella and Alice went to Italy. To stop Edward, I added silently to myself.

"She's going to be around," Alice added. "Edward is _making plans_."

"What sort of plans?" I asked.

Alice shook her head. "I can't get a clear vision yet. He's still thinking it over. From what I could tell, he's going to try to use the ticket vouchers you and Esme got Bella for her birthday and take her to see Renee in Florida this weekend. Charlie told her she wasn't grounded anymore."

"Florida?" Esme repeated. "Isn't that a little far?"

"It's Eddie-boy," Emmett said. "He never does anything halfway, you know? So when's this bitch going to be around exactly?"

"Emmett," I scolded automatically. But I was more focused on Alice's answer.

"This weekend for sure," Alice replied. "I don't know what she's going to do, exactly. I'm not sure _she_ knows what she's going to do."

Jasper spoke up for the first time since Alice had gotten home. "We should set patrols."

"Yeah," agreed Emmett, "And you know those mutts down in La Push are going have _their_ undies in a bundle over this too."

The others looked to me, expecting me to make a decision. I would rather avoid a conflict, but we knew that Victoria isn't like us in her diet. And we can't afford to have murders on our hands. Not now when we know the pack is back and _growing_ from what I've heard. There were only three wolves when we'd first made the treaty with Ephraim Black. We didn't have an exact count right now, but it sounded like there were quite a few more this time. And they weren't very tolerant of us to begin with. Suspicious deaths would be pinned on us and could potentially explode the tentative treaty we had between us.

I nodded. "Alright. Jasper and Emmett, work out patrols. But we're going to be careful about this. I don't want this to turn into a fight if it doesn't have to."

"Okay, Carlisle," Jasper replied.

Emmett nodded as well. "Should we include Eddie-boy in this one?"

"No," Alice said suddenly. "They're going to Florida. Oh, and they're coming here tonight."

"Should I make something for her to eat?" Esme asked.

"No," Alice replied. "Bella and Charlie will already have dinner."

Sure enough, later that night, Edward's Volvo returned and he and Bella got out of the car.

"Bella, it's good to see you again," Esme greeted her with a hug. It was such a difference from the first time Bella had visited the house, or even the last time. The first time, we'd been tense and wary, not wanting to frighten her away. And the last time, it'd been the middle of the night, after the near disastrous trip to Italy and Bella had put her immortality up to a vote, despite Edward's objections. That hadn't been the most genial of situations.

"Good to see you too, Esme," Bella replied, returning her hug.

"Bella," I greeted her with a smile. And to my surprise, she gave me a hug just as she had Esme.

"It's good to see you again, Carlisle," she told me.

"The same to you, Bella," I replied, gently returning her hug before she let go.

That night she played chess with Edward, Alice, and Jasper. I was struck by just how easy the scene looked. In the past, Jasper had always kept his distance from Bella because he'd struggled with his thirst. But he'd gotten much better since the birthday party that ended in disaster and now he sat just across a table from Bella, thoroughly beating her in chess.

This is as it should be,I thought. Edward looked up at me momentarily, acknowledging my thoughts and for one of the few times in the last few months, _agreeing_ with me.

He took Bella home after a little while and then returned for the little time he had at home anymore. Most of his time he spent with Bella, but there was a short period of time between when Charlie asked that he go home and when he'd return to Bella at night. I knew my son wasn't _doing_ anything with Bella. That wasn't Edward's character. He was staunch in his belief that physical intimacy should remain between two people in a married couple. From what he'd told me briefly, he enjoyed watching Bella sleep.

"Carlisle," he said, as he stepped in the door. I was in my study, doing a bit of paperwork that I had left over from the surgeries.

Upstairs, Edward, I replied. I heard his light footsteps on the stairs and in the hallway. Come in, I told him. The door to my office opened and Edward stepped inside.

"What can I do for you, Edward?" I asked.

"Alice already told you this, but I'm taking Bella to Jacksonville to visit her mother this weekend."

"Alice has mentioned it," I agreed.

"I just want to be careful, Carlisle," Edward insisted. "You know how Bella attracts danger. I don't want to take the risk of Victoria getting to her."

It's not very likely, I replied.

"Neither is almost getting crushed twice by a van sliding on ice, or being targeted by a tracker that likes to chase innocent humans for sport," Edward retorted.

"True," I agreed. "Do you need anything?"

"No. I just wanted to tell you in person."

I nodded. Go, Edward, I told him. Does Bella know?

"About Victoria, no," Edward answered. "But she agreed to go to Jacksonville."

"Be careful," I urged him, thinking of the sunlight. "Jacksonville isn't like Forks."

"I'll think of something," Edward assured me. "That's all I wanted to talk about." He turned to leave, but paused at the door for a moment before turning back to me.

"Thank you, Carlisle," he said.

"You're welcome, Edward," I replied. For what?

"For understanding, for agreeing to the patrols, for everything you've done for Bella and me."

I nodded, thinking about Bella as she played chess with Jasper tonight, the emotions I felt, the peace of the whole situation. I already think of her as my daughter, Edward.

"I know." And he left.


	59. Chapter 59: Evasion

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I don't know why it was so hard to write at first! Especially since I ended up writing it in a few hours! Well, I guess that's the creative muse for you. I hope you enjoy and please review. And if you are looking for anything else to read, my favourites list and my other stories are good places to look.**

**Until next time,**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 59: Evasion_

With Bella safely on a plane to Jacksonville for the weekend, we did not need to set a guard for her house, but we did so anyways. Her scent was strong there and Charlie was still at home. But it wasn't our priority. Esme remained in the area for most of that weekend while I went with Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice and swept our side of the boundary line, looking for any possible scent of Victoria, or any other vampires for that matter. We could not rule out the possibility that Victoria would have a companion with her. Alice's visions, while they were slightly clearer now that the time was drawing closer, were not completely comprehensible. It seemed Victoria was refraining from making any specific decision of what she was going to do in Forks. This worried me. If Victoria didn't make a decision w the last minute, then we would have very little time to react to it. Alice's visions could only work as long as a person was set in their plans. Any slight change may change the future.

We stayed within speaking distance as we swept the area. Speaking distance for us was a little further then it might have been for a human party, though. We were quite spread out, and constantly on the alert. Alice would occasionally pause, searching into the future again and again. At one point, she lingered longer than she had before. Jasper and Emmett were further ahead while Rosalie was bringing up the back of our group. I stopped, stepping closer to Alice.

"Alice? What are you seeing?"

"Nothing." We all froze at her declaration. Rosalie in back, Emmett and Jasper in front.

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" Rosalie demanded.

"My visions are gone," Alice replied, her tone more biting than usual. She turned back to me. "I can't see anything Carlisle. It's all just gone. Not fuzzy, gone. I think…" She trailed off, her eyes wandering once more briefly before she huffed in frustration and shook her head. "They're gone. It's the Quileutes. I can't see them."

"Ugh, the _dogs_ get involved?" Rosalie half-growled. "This just gets better and better!"

"What was the last vision you had, Alice?" I asked, ignoring Rosalie's open disdain.

"I saw—"

"Carlisle!" Jasper called from ahead, his voice urgent. Alice and I ran to catch up to them, Rosalie with us. We found Jasper and Emmett crouched, back-to-back, their eyes scanning the trees around us.

"What is—"My thought was cut off as I caught what they had. It was unmistakable, the scent that we had been searching for, had been focused on for a long time now. "Victoria."

"Jasper just caught it," Emmett replied. "The path is confusing. It circles."

"Alice?"

"Still nothing. But can you smell that?"

I sample the air and almost gagged. I don't know how I could've missed it before. "We're close to the boundary line."

"Why would she be here?" Alice asked. "Bella's house is in town. But we didn't pick anything up there, and Esme hasn't called us."

I checked my cell phone quickly, even though I know it hadn't rung. Esme hadn't given us any warning from Bella's house. Why was that? If Victoria was here, and her target was Bella, why would she not go to her house, where her scent was strongest? "Be careful," I urged, rather unnecessarily. The others were quite obviously on edge, each on the balls of their feet, slightly crouched, their eyes wide and searching.

"This way," Jasper urged, turning towards the direction of the treaty line. "The trail leads this way."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Jasper nodded without hesitation. "I'm positive. I can smell it."

I nodded then. "Lead on."

Jasper went first, Emmett just behind him, the rest of us bringing up the rear. With Victoria's scent circling around the area, as Emmett and Jasper had said, she could very well be anywhere. Jasper seemed confident he had found the right trail, but it was best to be careful. Victoria has tricked us in the past. I had no doubt she could do it again.

But Jasper didn't waver once as he followed the twisting trail through the trees, drawing ever closer to the Quileute boundary line. The scent became harder to detect as the werewolf scent grew stronger. It was obvious they regularly patrolled the border of their lands.

"You'd think they don't trust us or something," Emmett joked, his way of remarking on the potency of the smell. We all understood its significance. The wolf pack was vigilant. We could not afford to make mistakes.

"Be careful of the line," I warned the others.

"I have her." Jasper leapt into action, taking off after the scent. Emmett was just behind him, following close behind. Obviously Jasper had found a clear path. I checked and sure enough, there was Victoria's scent. And it was new, as in a few seconds, new. Rosalie took off after Emmett and Jasper, hurrying to catch up. Alice and I weren't too far behind the three. We caught up within a few seconds and were within sight of Jasper and Emmett. Then suddenly Jasper froze and looked around once, before turning his gaze upwards. I followed his line of sight and there it was! A brief flash of red amongst the green. Jasper and Emmett leapt at the nearest tree in pursuit. Alice, Rosalie, and I remained on the ground, in case she decided to come down. We had found Victoria, and we were not going to let her get away.

Another flash and she leapt across the expanse from one tree to the next. Jasper and Emmett were just behind her. She darted from tree to tree, as fast on the branches as she would've been on the ground. Alice, Rosalie, and I had to run to keep up with them.

Victoria led us on, even closer to the treaty line.

"We can't let her get across!" Alice said urgently. Then Victoria changed direction so that she was now running parallel to the boundary line, but still in our area. Emmett and Jasper were gaining distance on her and she abandoned the trees, opting for the easier, faster terrain. We all took off after her, Emmett and Jasper still in the lead. Jasper dived for her, but Victoria evaded him. He rolled and was back on his feet within half a second. We pursued her all the way to the boundary line. As we burst from the tree line the powerful wolf odor assaulted us, just before the owners themselves came into view. I counted at least five wolves, though there could very well be further back in the trees. They had spotted us as well, but they had also spotted Victoria. A large black wolf and a grey one led the way, followed closely by a russet wolf. Based on Bella's descriptions of the wolves she knew, I thought the black one was Sam Uley, their alpha, while the russet one may have been Jacob Black, Bella's friend and Ephraim Black's grandson. Ephraim was the original alpha, who we made the first treaty with.

Victoria had been able to escape us quite effectively in the past, but with the wolves on one side of the border, and us on the other, her chances did not look good. But somehow, she managed to evade both of us. She followed the boundary line as if she were reading it from a map, darting to our side or to the wolves side, but never staying long enough for either of us to catch her. Then she stayed just an extra second longer on our side and Emmett lunged.

He missed and the grey wolf snapped at him, teeth flashing, growling in warning, threatening. Rosalie hissed back, turning on the grey wolf, putting herself between Emmett and it. Her actions caused the entire chase to dissolve in an instant as Emmett moved Rosalie and Jasper came to his aid while the other five wolves flanked the grey one. The wolves snarled and my family answered, just as challenging.

"Stop!" I shouted, placing myself between the two factions. At this point, I may have been standing directly _on_ the boundary line. But both groups were at the edge of their territories, within lunging distance of each other.

The black wolf, the largest, barked at the others, who didn't back off, but ceased growling.

"Rosalie," I said firmly, looking directly at my daughter. She seemed the most likely to attack right now. The others were there as back-up. Alice and Jasper were on either side of Emmett and Rosalie, alert, but not about to jump into a fight.

Rosalie glared at me, but she slowly straightened. The phrase "if looks could kill" passed through my mind. Emmett followed Rosalie, then Jasper and Alice.

"We will _not_ break the treaty," I hissed at them.

"That grey one tried to attack Emmett!" Rosalie snapped.

"But he didn't. The treaty is intact. And our family will not be the ones to break it. Is that understood?"

Rosalie grumbled, but assented. Now for the wolves. "Jasper, I'm going to need your help. Are you under control?"

Jasper nodded. "Yes, Carlisle."

"Good," I nodded back. Only then did I turn to face the wolf pack.

Tension was still high amongst them. Their hackles were raised and although nobody growled openly, it was more than implied. I addressed the black wolf directly. "Sam, I need to speak to you."

The black wolf glanced back at the russet wolf before turning and heading back into the trees. The russet wolf stepped up into the vacated spot, keeping the line of enormous wolves intact. A few moments later, Sam returned in human form, wearing a pair of shorts only. He did not seem happy about it at all, but his expression was a wall of hard calm. It was obviously a learned trait, most likely to help him control his own emotions. The werewolves' transformations were ruled by their emotions. It would make sense that they would try to find ways to make the transformations less sensitive, less unpredictable.

"Paul says your man crossed the treaty line," Sam said gruffly.

"Emmett did not," I replied. "He was attempting to catch Victoria."

"We were handling it. But now she got away, thanks to _you_." His tone was confrontational. If there was any doubt of the Quileutes' regard for us, they were dashed then and there. The Quileutes didn't trust us, not one inch. I understood their tentativeness. Most of our kind had little regard for humans or their lives. The Quileutes were charged with protecting their tribe. They had had previous disastrous encounters with our kind. And to be entirely honest, I knew my family did not trust the Quileutes any more than they trusted us. Ours was a shaky agreement and that unstable foundation had been further prodded. It could fall at any moment, unless we sorted this out delicately. But it seemed Sam had no interest in sorting this out. He was content to accuse.

So I tried a different tactic. "I would like to apologize on behalf of my family," I told him. "We did not mean to make you feel threatened. It is not our wish to break the treaty we created with your ancestors."

Sam's careful calm slipped a little, showing his brief frustration. But it was such a small slip, I doubted I would have noticed it if I had been a human. I felt Jasper help my words, spreading a gentle calm over the entire group. A few of the wolves eased slightly; the grey one who'd originally confronted Emmett was among them.

After a moment, Sam nodded. "We will not break the treaty." He turned to leave, but paused and spun back to face me. "But we will be watching you and your family _closely_, bloodsucker. Remember, if you _bite_ anyone, the deals off, and it's open season on all of you leeches."

I chose to ignore Sam's derogatory comments in favor of diplomacy. I'd succeeded for now. The agreement was still intact.

"If you give us permission, we will hunt Victoria," I offered.

"Don't bother. We can handle our territory just fine. You stay on your side of the line, we'll stay on ours. If the bloodsucker comes back, we'll deal with her."

"And we will handle the situation on our end," I agreed. I motioned for the others to start to leave and then backed up from the Sam and his wolf pack slowly until they were a fair distance away. Then we all turned and headed for home. I called Esme on the way back, asking her to meet us back at the house.

"Victoria is gone," Alice assured us, her visions back now that the wolves were no longer directly involved. "She won't be back."

"You are sure?" Esme asked.

Alice nodded immediately. "She doesn't have any more plans of coming back for now. It was a close call this time. She knows we're still vigilant."

"What are we going to do about the dog problem?" Rosalie asked.

"We're going to be careful from now on," I replied. "We are not going to give them a reason to believe we broke the treaty."

"Yeah, because they'd jump at it in a moment," Emmett commented. "Actually, I wouldn't mind—"

"What about Bella?" Alice asked. "The treaty is for biting, not killing. Jacob warned Edward; the wolves will attack when we change Bella."

"We'll have to face that obstacle when it comes," I told her. Unfortunately, it was coming up fast. Graduation was not very far off, and I had promised Bella I would change her afterwards, if she chose it. I do not go back on my promises. Except for one. The treaty promise would have to be broken. None of us would have anticipated these events when we'd first drawn up the treaty with Ephraim Black and his pack. While I did not like the thought of purposefully breaking the treaty, my son's happiness came first. Edward deserved to be happy with Bella. That was the reason I was offering to change her as she wished. That was the reason I would break my promise.


	60. Chapter 60: Time

**A/N: Okay, so here it is, as promised. It's just a little shorter than the others have been, but chalk full of information. The urgency is beginning to build.**

**Enjoy!**

**-Wish**

_Chapter 60: Time_

We combed the woods again for Victoria's scent after the wolves had moved on. We found it slightly, but it passed over the boundary and into the sea. Sam had made it quite clear they didn't want our help on their side of the boundary, so we were forced to go back and admit defeat. Victoria had gotten away, again. Even with the wolves on one side and our family on the other, somehow she evaded us. It was frustrating. Bella's life continued to be threatened by our world. I doubted it would end until she was finally like us, or our world succeeded.

No, Edward is coming home. Don't begin that line of thought. It will only upset him. He had Bella to worry about, and that was plenty on its own.

"Edward is home," Alice chimed from downstairs. A few minutes later I heard his car pull into our driveway. I figured it was time to go downstairs. Edward would want to know what happened while he and Bella were in Florida and despite Edward's mind-reading range; it was still easier to have a real conversation, face to face.

Alice, Esme, and the others were greeting Edward when I walked into the living room. Well, not _all_ the others. Rosalie had taken to sulking in the garage again, bringing Emmett along as her carjack. Alice encircled Edward as much as she could in a most enthusiastic hug.

"The way you behave, you'd think I was gone for a decade," Edward remarked.

"Well you're my favorite brother and I missed you," Alice replied.

"Welcome back, Edward. How was Florida?" Esme greeted him, giving him a slightly softer, but no less earnest hug.

"Much too sunny," Edward smiled down at her, "but Bella had a good time with her mother." He looked up and his eyes found me. The question they asked was obvious. "What happened?"

"We found her, but she got away," I replied, going over the series of events from my memory. Edward's mind-reading did come in handy when relating a story.

"Alice couldn't see them," Edward murmured.

"It wasn't just fuzzy, Edward," Alice added. "It was gone. I can't see the wolves, or anything, I think, when they're involved."

"She escaped down the boundary line," Jasper added. "Like she was reading it from a map."

"The wolves got all defensive, though," Emmett said, walking in with Rosalie from the garage. He was covered in grease, though Rose had managed to stay completely clean. "Stupid grey one thought I'd stepped over the line. Tried to take a snap at me."

"We'll have to be extremely careful from now on," I cautioned everyone.

"Hey, I wouldn't mind some wolf," Emmett shrugged. "Though I think those have gotten rancid or something."

"It is an awful smell," Alice admitted. "I doubt it will be too hard to recognize. Anyway, I don't think we'll have to worry about Victoria for a little while. She's made no immediate plans to return. Bella is safe for now."

"I doubt that will last long though," Emmett piped up. "Danger magnet as she is." He grinned at me. "But we won't have to worry about that for much longer."

Edward growled slightly, tensing but doing nothing further.

"Oh, chillax, Eddie-boy. Don't you know you're supposed to come back from vacation completely relaxed? That's why it's called 'vacation'."

"Emmett," Esme said softly.

"Alright, alright," Emmett conceded. He and Rosalie left, heading out the back door. Rosalie had done little more than stare at Edward. I had no doubt she was telling him exactly how annoyed with "guard duty" she was.

"Thank you all for understanding," Edward said.

"I would have done the same if it was Alice," Jasper replied.

Alice looked sideways at him, keenly. "Really? You'd take me to Florida if I was in danger?"

"Well maybe not Florida," he admitted. "All the sun, but I would make your safety my top priority."

Alice smiled at him, standing up on her tiptoes and pecking him on the nose.

"I wonder why Alice can't see the wolves," Esme said. Everyone looked to me, of course. It seemed like most recently I had become the "expert" on the supernatural in our family. But I could only guess at why Alice could not see the wolves.

"Perhaps the wolves have a natural immunity to Alice," Jasper suggested. "Like Bella has to Edward."

But I shook my head. "Your gift worked perfectly fine on them, though," I reminded him. "I think it may have something to do with their transformations," I hedged.

Edward looked interested. "How so?" he asked.

"Edward, you found that their transformations are controlled by their emotions. It's rather involuntary, and when the shift happens, it changes everything. Perhaps, Alice cannot see them because of these shifts, how they are unpredictable, and when they shift from their human forms to their wolf forms; they cease to exist, if just for a split second."

Alice looked thoughtful. "It could be. Since my visions rely on decisions, but when they lose control and shift, it's not typically a conscious decision."

"Exactly," I agreed.

"It's possible," Alice decided. "But it still puts a large hole in my visions. And it's annoying."

"If your visions disappear, we'll know the wolves are involved at least," I reminded her.

"And it won't happen too often," Esme added.

"Let's hope," Alice agreed. "It's so annoying."

"Are we still monitoring the situation in Seattle?" Edward asked.

"There have been four new deaths over the weekend," I replied. I'd been keeping a close eye on the newspapers, looking for not only deaths, but disappearances too. I was sure not everything was being accounted for. There were most likely disappearances and killings that were not being reported because they were the "dregs of society". Homeless people, prostitutes, street kids, anyone who might be out there that nobody seemed to care for. The papers reported on family members, people of society going missing.

"It's picking up," Jasper remarked. "I'm not sure this is the cause of just _one_ newborn. There are too many deaths. A newborn this rampant would be gorging themselves on blood every night. Nobody's thirst is that insatiable."

"You think there is more than one?" Esme asked.

"There has to be." Jasper looked to me. "This is getting out of hand, Carlisle. The Volturi surely know about it by now. They will be forced to come soon. We need to handle this before they do."

"Nothing has been decided yet," Alice said. "I've been watching their every move."

"But you are also watching Victoria," Jasper reminded her. "It is possible something slipped through."

But Alice shook her head firmly. "No. I've been keeping tabs too closely on them. If they made a major decision like that, I would have seen it, even if I wasn't looking for it. The Volturi aren't coming yet."

"But Jasper is right," Rosalie said, speaking up for the first time since Edward returned. "We have to do something soon. We're running out of time."

I was still reluctant. I didn't want my family getting involved. What if handling this newborn, or _newborns_, if Jasper was correct, actually _brought_ the Volturi, rather than kept them away? And dealing with newborns could be unpredictable. There was hardly any reasoning with a newborn. They were ruled almost entirely by their instincts. If we finally confronted them, we would most likely be forced to chase them off, or kill them. And I didn't like the thought of either. Not if they didn't know what they were doing was wrong.

"We have to continue to wait," I insisted. "We don't want to get involved unless we absolutely have to."

Jasper sighed. "I'm afraid by then, it might be too late. I don't think we'll have until graduation, Carlisle. They are too out of control. The Volturi will notice, soon if they haven't already."

"They haven't," Alice insisted again. She shot Jasper a firm glance, reasserting her assurance.

Jasper nodded to her, but he turned back to me, his expression hard. "We need to make plans, Carlisle. Before we are out of time."

* * *

"What are we going to do about Victoria?"

Bella came over to our house with Edward a few days after their return from Florida and the first question she asked, beyond the appropriate "How are you?" was "What are we going to do about Victoria?"

"You don't need to worry about Victoria, Bella," Edward told her.

"I'm offended," Alice replied, rolling her eyes. "You're not honestly _worried_ about this, are you?"

"If it's no big deal, then why did Edward drag me to Florida?" she retorted.

"Haven't you noticed yet, Bella, that Edward is just the teeniest bit prone to overreaction?"

Edward glared at her, but I couldn't help thinking, It's true, Edward_._

"But don't you think things would be easier if you just turned me now?" Bella insisted. "Then you wouldn't have to worry about Victoria getting to me. I would be like you all."

"There are seven of us, Bella," I reminded her. "And with Alice on our side, I don't think Victoria's going to catch us off guard. I think it's important, for Charlie's sake, that we stick with the original plan." The last thing we needed was a missing persons investigation. And if we changed Bella now, with the tension between the wolves and us so high, it would mean a gruesome battle, another thing we didn't need.

Esme stepped forward and placed a gentle kiss on Bella's forehead soothingly. "We'd never allow anything to happen to you, sweetheart. You know that. Please don't be anxious."

"I'm really glad Edward didn't kill you. Everything's so much more fun with you around," Emmett added, grinning and winking at Bella. Rosalie was not so open with Bella, simply glaring at her. But Rosalie had never given any indication that she liked Bella, so her behavior was nothing out of the ordinary.

We tried to reassure Bella that everything was fine. As long as the wolves didn't get in the way again, Alice would be able to see Victoria coming long before she actually came. And there was only a few more weeks left to graduation. There was no need to rush Bella's transformation, despite what she may think. And there could be severe consequences for changing Bella right now.

"Hey Eddie-boy, you up for a hunting trip this weekend?" Emmett asked. Edward's eyes were pitch-black. It seemed that he went much longer between feedings than he ever had before. I knew it worried Esme.

"I can't I—"

"You should go," Bella interrupted.

"Bella—"

"I don't see anything happening this weekend, Edward," Alice chimed in. "Bella will be safe for a few days."

"Yeah, and you look like the walking death, little brother," Emmett added, snickering at his own joke. Bella smiled at it too.

Edward turned to Bella, but she seemed to be just as set on Edward going as Emmett and Alice were. "You need to hunt," she told him. "You can't starve just to protect me."

"I'm hardly _starving_, Bella," Edward replied. "And you're more important."

"Alice said everything will be fine this weekend. Go have fun. Bag some mountain lions for me." And it seemed that was the end of the argument.

Personally I thought it was good for Edward to go out with his brothers hunting. He hadn't gone on a proper weekend trip since before we'd moved away from Forks. First Edward had been depressed, then there was the business with Italy, and now Victoria was back and all Edward seemed to think of was how to protect Bella. He needed some time to let go and have some fun like he did before.

"Carlisle, are you coming?" Jasper asked.

I had to refuse though. "I'm sorry, I have a surgery this Saturday," I replied. "Perhaps another time."

"Suit yourself," Emmett shrugged.

**A/N2: Please review! Tell me what you liked, didn't like. Are the characters in canon or am I missing the mark?**

**-Wish**


	61. Author

**A/N: Important**

**Due to unforseeable, personal circumstances, I will be unable to update any of my stories, probably until May at least. Therefore, I'm placing everything on a temporary hiatus. I hate doing this but right now the decision is out of my hands. If I am able to, I will try to update sporadically, but I do not expect I will be able to.**

**I am sorry for disappointing all of you and I hope that, come May, you will give me another chance.**

**-Wish**

**P.S. I must also ask that you do not PM me with questions about updates. Questions about story details and plots are still welcome, though. Again, I am sorry.**


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